


One Day You'll Understand (When You Love Someone)

by josie_josette



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Originals (TV)
Genre: Angst, Complete, Divorce, Dysfunctional Family, F/F, Family Drama, Family Issues, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hosie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23584042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/josie_josette/pseuds/josie_josette
Summary: Hope gets some of the worst news a kid could get from her parents; they're getting divorced. Now she has to figure out how to deal with the after effects of their separation while trying to help her younger sister, Mia, deal with it as well.orLoosely based off the song 'When You Love Someone" by James TW.
Relationships: Hayley Marshall & Hope Mikaelson, Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson & Klaus Mikaelson, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Lizzie Saltzman, Josie Saltzman & Lizzie Saltzman
Comments: 33
Kudos: 133





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey mom,” I smiled as I stepped into the kitchen. I walked over to her, kissed her cheek and grabbed an apple from behind her. 

My mom smiled at me with her coffee in one hand and a bagel in the other. “Hi sweetie. You headed off to school already?” 

“Yeah, the bus will be here soon,” I said, leaning against the counter. 

My mom looked at me, her expression a little concerned. She looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t quite find the words. 

“Hope,” she finally said, setting her bagel down on a napkin and her coffee on the counter, still keeping her fingers around the handle. “Your father and I need to talk to you about something later.”

I gave her a questioning look and tilted my head to the side slightly. “Is everything okay?” 

She gave me a comforting smile and placed her free hand over one of mine. “Fine. Just come home right after school, okay? We want to talk to you before your sister gets home from soccer.” 

“Why don’t you want Mia to be here?” I asked, finding the request a little odd. 

“Look, we will explain everything later,” she said, looking over at the door when we heard the bus honk. She looked back at me and sighed with a tired smile. “Have a good day at school. I love you.” 

“I love you too.” I hugged her and walked out the door, grabbing my backpack on the way out.

When I got on the bus, I scanned the seats until my eyes landed on a familiar face. Josie smiled and waved me over. I made my way to the back and sat down next to her, receiving a kiss from her as soon as I took off my backpack and got settled in. 

“Morning,” I smiled when she pulled away. 

“Morning,” she said sweetly. “How has your morning been so far?” 

“Honestly? A little weird,” I sighed, thinking back on the conversation I just had with my mom. Josie gave me a questioning look.

“Why’s that?” she asked. 

“I had a weird conversation with my mom right before I left,” I responded. She raised her eyebrows at me and I continued. “She said she wanted me home right after school so her and my dad could talk to me about something, but she stressed that I needed to be home before Mia got out of soccer practice because they didn’t want her to be there when they did talk to me.” 

“That is weird,” she commented. “What do you think they want to talk to you about?”

“I don’t know,” I said with a slight shake of my head, “but it can’t be good if they really don’t want my sister to be there.” 

I looked around when I said that, remembering that I wasn’t the only one with a sibling and also recalling that there was a serious lack of ‘ews’ when Josie and I kissed earlier. “Hey, speaking of sisters, where’s Lizzie?” 

Josie rolled her eyes and smiled. “Lizzie didn’t want to come to school, so she convinced my mom she was having really bad cramps. She just wanted to skip the test in history today because she forgot to study.” 

“Dammit, I knew I was forgetting something!” I whisper-yelled. Josie chuckled and pulled out her flashcards from the small pocket of her backpack, shaking her head at me in the process. 

“Here, I’ll quiz you,” she said as she flipped through the color coded cards. I gave her a thankful smile and listened intently as she started to ask me a series of questions about the industrialization.

Throughout the entire day, all I could think about was what my mom had said this morning. I came up with thousands of scenarios in my head about what they could possibly have to talk to me about. Were we moving? Did my dad get a new job? Were we going to have to move schools? Were they planning her birthday party? Were they getting a divorce? That one particularly stuck out in my mind. But no, that couldn’t be it. They hadn’t even been arguing lately; sure they had their disagreements, but nothing that would constitute a divorce. My parents had their differences, but they loved each other. That’s why they’d gotten married in the first place. 

But no matter how much I wanted to believe that that wasn’t happening, I couldn’t come up with another explanation for why they wouldn’t want my little sister home when they broke the news, or why my mom had looked so distraught when she asked me to come home right after school let out. Mia is six, so it would make sense that they would want to talk to me alone first, just in case I reacted badly. And thinking about it now, I don’t know how i’ll react if that is what they’re going to tell me. 

When the lunch bell rang, I wandered to the cafeteria in a daze. I grabbed a tray, picked out some food and made my way to our usual table where I found Josie, MG, Kaleb, Rafael, and Landon already eating and talking loudly over the even louder noise of the other students. Landon waved at me when he saw me, making everyone else look in my direction. 

“Hey Hope,” he said before taking another bite of his hamburger. 

“Why the long face?” MG asked when he looked at me. I sat down next to Josie and smiled when she kissed my cheek, making me feel a little better. 

“No reason,” I sighed. MG gave me a look that said ‘BS’ so I sighed and said, “Fine. My mom said she and my dad needed to talk to me when I got home.” 

“Why’s that so weird?” Rafael asked, taking a drink from his milk carton and setting it down when he was done. 

“Because she said they didn’t want Mia there when they did and she looked very concerned when she said it.” 

They all seemed to give that some thought and nodded in agreement. 

“That does sound kinda shady,” Kaleb said. I nodded and picked at my burger, not really hungry at the moment. 

“Well, maybe it’s not a bad thing,” MG said, “Maybe she wanted to throw you off by making you think that it was bad news and they’re really planning Mia’s birthday party or something.” 

I smiled at his optimism. “Could be,” I said, “But I really don’t think so. She looked really worried.” 

“Got any theories?” Landon asked. 

“A lot,” I said. They all waited for me to continue. “I don’t know, maybe we’re moving? Or maybe they’re getting a divorce? Those are honestly the only two things that I could come up with that would explain my mom’s face this morning.” 

Josie grabbed my hand and smiled at me. “Look, I’m sure everything’s gonna be fine. But whatever it is, we’re all here for you.”

They all gave me sympathetic smiles, which made me relax a little. I squeezed Josie’s hand and whispered a small, “thanks, guys,” before I started picking at my food again, actually eating some of it. 

“How about we get your mind off of it for the time being?” Josie suggested. “Quick game of ‘Would You Rather’?”

“Oh yeah,” MG cheered along with Landon and Raf. “I’ve been coming up with good ones all day. I’m ready.” 

I laughed and said, “Fine, but no dirty ones! I just got my appetite back.” 

“Fine,” Kaleb sighed. “Go, MG.” 

“Alright, would you rather be able to see ten minutes into your own future, or the future of everyone else but yourself?”

We played the game for the rest of lunch, laughing at some of the ridiculous questions that got asked and getting into long debates about why one answer would be better than the alternative. And for the rest of the lunch period, I didn’t think about what awaited me when I got back home. 

As I walked down the aisle of the bus, my heart started pounding. I thanked the bus driver and got off, noticing my dad’s car in the driveway. Here we go, I thought. 

I walked through the gate and opened the door as slowly as humanly possible, trying my best to avoid the inevitable. But of course, you can only put things off for so long. 

As soon as my parents heard me close the door, they both walked out of the kitchen and looked at me with their serious faces on. I hung my keys up and walked over to the couch, dropping my bag off to the side. 

“We need to talk to you,” my father said, slowly making his way over to one of the couches. 

“Yeah, that’s what mom said this morning,” I responded, sitting down across from him. My mom walked over next, sitting next to my dad but with a few inches of space between them. “What’s going on?” 

They looked at each other, silently communicating with their eyes. And in that moment, I knew I was right. I knew what this was about before he even said the words. 

“Your mother and I have decided that it would be in everyone’s best interest if we got a divorce,” my dad said hesitantly, looking everywhere but my eyes when he said it. When he finished his sentence he looked up at me, waiting for my reaction. When I didn’t say anything he continued. “Hope. I know this is difficult, but you have to understand that, sometimes people simply fall out of love and there’s nothing to be done about it.” 

“I don’t understand,” I whispered, making myself look up at them. “Why? What made you fall out of love? I mean, I know you’re not as crazy about each other like you were before, but you haven’t been fighting lately. You guys have been making it work, so what changed?” 

“We haven’t been fighting because we’re past that,” my mom said. “We had been fighting. For a long time. I know you remember. At some point we just decided that we had said everything we needed to say and there was just no point to arguing anymore. Now we just don’t talk at all. That’s why we haven’t been yelling. But we’re just not happy anymore, sweetie. And that’s not good for anyone.” 

I felt the tears start coming, but I wiped them away as quickly as they came. “So what now?” I asked, sounding angry, but feeling even more furious 

My dad sighed and looked at me. “This house,” he started, “while it may belong to my family, I would never force your mother to find another. So you and your sister will stay here with her while I stay with Elijah; just until I find a place of my own.”

“You and Mia will stay with your dad on the weekends when he finds a house and we’ll figure out holidays later on,” my mom continued. “Nothing else is really going to change. You’ll still go to the same school, nothing’s gonna change with your friends. You’ll just have two homes instead of one now.”

I nodded, not really knowing what else to say. I didn’t feel like there was anything to say.

My dad took my hand and I looked up at him with tear filled eyes. “You have to believe that we are doing this because it’s what’s best for you and your sister. And for us. While we may not be in love anymore, we still care about each other, and it’s because of that that we simply can’t do this anymore. But there’s no one to blame here. These things just happen.” 

“Why didn’t you want Mia here?” I asked, letting go of his hand and ignoring everything he just said on purpose to avoid yelling at him. I knew he was right, I knew there was no one at fault, but I couldn’t accept anything that they were telling me at the moment. I wasn’t ready yet. 

“We wanted to give you some time to process this alone,” my mom said. “Mia is still too young, she’s probably going to have a harder time coping with the change. We didn’t want you trying to process this while also trying to help her deal with it.” 

“Well, thanks for being so considerate,” I said, getting up from the couch and grabbing my backpack before heading upstairs. 

“Hope,” my dad called, getting up from his place next to my mom, but she grabbed his arm and stopped him from coming after me. 

“Klaus. It’s okay,” she said softly. “Let’s give her some time.” 

I didn’t hear him coming after me anymore, so when I got to my room I slammed the door shut and locked it, throwing my backpack across the room and dropping myself onto my bed, sobbing quietly into my pillow for what seemed like an eternity. 

Eventually I fell asleep, only to be woken up a few hours later by the sound of Josie’s ringtone coming from my phone, signaling that she wanted to FaceTime. 

I answered, feeling the need to hear her voice. When her face appeared on my screen she was smiling her bright, sunny smile.

“Hey you,” she said, squinting when she realized she couldn’t see me. “Why is it so dark? Were you asleep? Did I wake you? Oh babe, I’m sorry.” 

I chuckled at her rambling. “It’s okay,” I whispered, clearing my throat when I heard how raspy it was from all the crying I’d done earlier. She seemed to pick up on that and her face went from happy to concerned in the matter of seconds. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. “What happened? You sound like you’ve been crying.” 

I let out a shuddering breath. “I was right. They’re getting divorced.” 

Her mouth fell open and she gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, babe. Did they say why?”

“They said they just weren’t in love anymore; that they’re not happy.” 

“That makes sense, sometimes things happen that way. Doesn’t make this suck any less, but sadly that’s life.” 

I felt another tear escape from my eye and quickly wiped it away. “I know,” I said, my voice sounding weak and broken. “I know it’s not their fault or mine or my sister’s, but that just makes it harder. I want to be angry with someone, but I can’t.” 

“It would make things a lot easier if the circumstances were different,” she said, reading my thoughts. “If someone was at fault.”

“Exactly,” I sighed. “If one of them had cheated or something, then I’d have someone to blame, someone to be angry with. But in this case, I can’t blame either one of them for not being in love with the other. They can’t necessarily control that; they can’t help what they feel or don’t feel.” 

“Yeah, I understand,” she said. “Are you okay? I mean, clearly you’re not, but you know... Are you?” 

I smiled, finding it endearing how hard she was trying. “Yeah,” I said, “yeah, I think I’ll be okay. I just really wish you were here. I could use one of your world famous hugs right about now.” 

“My hugs are pretty epic,” she said with a little shrug of her shoulder. I laughed and her smile softened; she was really worried about me, I could see it in her eyes. “I could come over if you want? Pick you up, go to the park for a little while. I’m assuming you probably don’t want to be home right now. It’s only six thirty, I could have Lizzie give me a ride. I’m sure my parents would be cool with it if I explained the situation.” 

My heart beat a little faster at the suggestion. I really needed to see her. “Yeah, that’d be great. I really need to get out of here.” 

“Okay, I’ll text you when I’m on my way,” she said. “I love you.” 

“I love you more,” I replied and then she hung up. 

I went over to the bathroom and cleaned up a bit, fixing my makeup and my messy hair. My eyes were swollen and my nose was still a little stuffy, but I made myself somewhat presentable before I headed downstairs. 

I walked into the kitchen to get a cup of water, since I'd cried out about half my body weight, and found my little sister sitting at the table with her homework laid out in front of her. She was still in her uniform, so I assumed she’d just gotten home. 

“Hi Hope,” she smiled, looking up at me when I walked in. She frowned when she saw my eyes. “Are you okay? You look sad.” 

“I’m okay, Tiny,” I said, doing my best to give her a reassuring smile. 

“Did you and Josie get into another fight?” she asked. That seemed to really concern her. 

“No, Josie and I are fine,” I said, walking over to the table and sitting down next to her. “I just got some bad news earlier and I got upset, but everything’s okay. Nothing you need to worry about right now.” 

“Okay,” she nodded. “Are you going out?” 

“Yeah, I’m gonna go see Josie, actually.”

She smiled at that; she loved Jo. Sometimes she liked her a little more than she liked me. Josie found it adorable, I always pretended to be offended. Okay, I actually got a little offended, but that’s not the point. 

“Good,” she said, “Josie always makes you happy. That’s why I like her.” 

My heart swelled at the comment. Sometimes I didn’t know what I did to deserve her. 

“Where’s mom?” I asked, redirecting the conversation. 

“Umm, I think she’s in her room with dad. They were talking about something when I got home. I don’t know, they didn’t look mad, but they were really serious. And then mom made me food and dad helped me with math and then they said they were going to go upstairs to keep talking.” 

I listened to her explanation and nodded. “Can you tell them I’m with Jo if they ask, please?” 

“Why don’t you just tell them before you go?” She said, cocking her head to the side. 

Just then I got a message from Josie telling me that she was almost here. “Because she’s here and I have to go,” I responded, flashing her the screen so she could see the name, but not the text. 

“Fine,” she huffed, returning her attention to her paper. “Give her a hug for me.” 

“Will do,” I said, hopping off the chair and depositing a kiss to the top of her head before I grabbed my keys and walked out the front door. 

I stood out in the street for a few minutes until I saw Lizzie’s blue Camaro pulling up with Josie in the passenger’s seat. Lizzie rolled down her window and gave me a soft smile. 

“Come on, Mikaelson,” she said, “i’ll take you guys to the park so you two can make out in peace behind some trees.” 

I laughed as Josie slapped her sister’s arm, getting a ‘hey!’ from Lizzie as a response. I slid into the back seat and shut the door. Josie turned around and gave me her hand, flashing me a warm smile in the process. 

“How are you holding up?” she asked. 

“Fine,” I lied. “I, uhh, I saw my sister before I left.” 

Her face got a little worried. “What happened? She doesn’t know, does she?” 

“No, that was the whole point of my parents talking to me without her there,” I said, shaking my head. “She asked me why I was sad and I told her I got bad news, but I didn’t tell her what the bad news was. She thought you and I were fighting, actually.” 

Josie groaned. “Argue in front of a six year old once and you’ll never hear the end of it.” 

I chuckled and squeezed her hand. “It’s okay, I told her we were okay and that I was coming to see you. She was glad. I believe her exact words were ‘Good. Josie always makes you happy. That’s why I like her.’” 

Josie’s cheeks turned red so she turned forward to try to hide her face. 

Lizzie pulled into one of the parking spots in front of the park, then. She shut off the car and looked over at us. 

“You two are disgusting, please exit my vehicle,” she said, her tone serious, but the smile playing at her lips wasn’t fooling anyone. 

“Our vehicle,” Josie corrected her, emphasizing the ‘our’ in that sentence. 

Lizzie snorted. “Until you get your driver’s license, it’s mine.” 

Josie rolled her eyes and opened the door. “We’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.” 

“No promises,” Lizzie said, taking out her phone and immediately pulling up instagram, double-tapping the first post that came up. 

Josie and I got out of the car and walked towards the playground. The top of the monkey bars was our favorite spot. It was where we used to hang out when we were younger. We’d sit on top of the structure, sometimes upside down, and talk about life and school or whatever else was bothering us. It was where she first confessed to me that she liked everyone, not just boys. It was also the first place we kissed; we were fourteen and I had just told her that I liked her when she just leaned in and laid one on me. It was just our place now, so it seemed fitting that we would come here to talk about this now. 

When we got to the top we sat there for a moment, looking out at the few people that were still there. There was a family of four, two parents, a son and a daughter, and they were all playing catch. I watched them thoughtfully, thinking about the last time my family did something like that. The last time we had a normal day out together. And I couldn’t remember. 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Josie said, gently bumping into my shoulder. I looked over at her and sighed. 

“I was just thinking about all the signs that I missed,” I explained. 

“Like what?” 

“Little things. Like the fact that they’re hardly ever in the same room. Or that sometimes I’d come home late and my dad would be sleeping on the couch and when I would wake him up he’d say that he fell asleep watching tv or reading or doing some paperwork because he was exhausted, but in reality he probably just didn’t want to sleep in the same bed as my mom. Then there was the months of constant fighting and yelling followed by the eerie silence of them just not speaking to each other. I took that to mean that they were okay again, but they were just avoiding each other. They haven’t had a meal together since Christmas, my dad started throwing himself into his work, my mom has been super focused on me and my sister and trying to run the bar… there were just so many signs… I feel stupid for not seeing it before.” 

“You’re not stupid, Hope,” she said, taking my hand and making me look her in the eyes. “Parents are very good at pretending. I mean, my parents put on a hell of a show for Lizzie and I. We actually believed they were in love at some point when they weren’t in love at all. You’re not a mind reader or a fortune teller; you couldn’t have known that this was coming. You have to stop beating yourself up about it. Nothing good is going to come out of it, you’re just going to be hurting yourself even more and I don’t like to see you suffer.”

I sighed and looked down. “I know… I know, I just hate feeling so… useless. So powerless. There’s nothing I can do to help them fix this because it can’t be fixed. And I don’t know how I’m going to deal with trading off weekends and holidays and my dad getting a new place and having two houses and all of that.” 

Josie gave me a genuine, yet sad smile. “Welcome to my world.” 

I looked over at her and smiled. “Right. You are pretty much an expert on this, aren’t you?” 

“Yes I am,” she said, intertwining our fingers. “So I will help you through all of this. I’ll help you with the move when your dad gets a new place, I’ll help you during the holidays when you’re probably going to hate it most because you’re going to want both of them, but they won’t want to be in the same house, much less the same room. I can’t lie, it’s going to suck big time, but I will be there for you through all of it. You and Mia.” 

I covered my face with my left hand. “Oh my god, they still have to tell Mia. I wasn’t even thinking about how she’s going to feel about all of this. I’ve just been thinking about myself and how miserable I am,” I groaned. “I’m a terrible sister.” 

“No,” Josie said, scooting closer to me and letting go of my hand so she could wrap her arm around me and rub my back. “You’re not a terrible sister. You’re a girl who just got some of the worst news a person could get and you’re trying to deal with it as best as you can. You deserve some time to process it on your own, you can worry about your sister later. Right now you just have to focus on you, otherwise you’re no use to her.” 

I looked at her and she smiled, her eyes shining as the setting sun hit them just right. I closed my eyes and leaned in, brushing my lips against her softly, yet passionately in an attempt to express my gratitude. She moved her arm from around my shoulders to cradle my face with the palm of her hand, brushing her thumb across my cheek when she did. 

“What the hell did I do to deserve someone as amazing as you?” I asked when we pulled away, a little out of breath from the kiss. 

“You were the greatest friend to me before we started dating and you’ve been the greatest girlfriend in the world since we kissed that one day, I’m just trying to pay you back for being so great to me,” she responded. I leaned my forehead against hers and we just sat there in silence for a little while. 

After, she wrapped her arm around me again and looked out at the few kids that were there, running around with their friends and families. A few tears occasionally escaped my eyes when I saw kids and their parents, wishing that I could have that again and hoping that they would never have to experience what I was currently going through. Josie would simply hold me tighter when she noticed, kissing my temple and whispering to me that everything would be okay. 

And I believed her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mia finds out about the divorce and things don't go too well...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this was only supposed to have two parts to it - not that's a lie, it was only supposed to be a quick one shot - but somewhere along the line it turned into a full fic? I don't know what happened, I swear. I just have so many ideas for this and I really like the concept, so I'm gonna keep going with it. Let me know if you like it or if I should just finish it up with one more chapter.

It was weeks before my parents finally decided to tell Mia that they were separating. My dad had been staying with my Uncle Elijah for a few weeks and we’d had to come up with a lot of excuses as to why he was gone since Mia asked a lot of questions. They waited until my dad found a house and they had a plan to finally break the news so they could give my sister answers instead of uncertainties and maybes. Regardless of how I felt about the situation, I did have to appreciate that they were going about this so maturely and taking as many precautions as they could to make this easier on her. 

But in reality, there was nothing easy about this and no matter how hard they tried, nothing could have prepared us for how my sister was going to react. 

“Hey sweetheart,” my dad said one afternoon after Mia was done with her homework. He closed her work book and gave her a gentle smile. “Your mommy and I want to talk to you about something.” 

“Okay,” Mia smiled, following my dad into the living room. I was washing the dishes like I usually did, and I was halfway done when my mom stepped into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. 

“I know we already told you, but we would appreciate it if you would come and join us anyways,” she whispered. I nodded and turned off the water, drying my hands before following her to the couch. I took a seat next to my sister and looked at my parents as they spoke. 

My dad looked so nervous; more nervous than I’d ever seen him. And that scared me a little. 

“Okay,” he finally said, rubbing his hands together and fiddling with the place where his ring used to be. “Your mother and I have agreed that it would be best if we got a divorce.” 

Mia looked confused. “What’s a divorce?” 

“A divorce is when two people stop being married and they no longer live together,” my mom explained, trying her best to keep it simple. 

Mia’s eyebrows drew in, processing her words. She was quiet for a long time before she started to panic and said, “Why? Why don’t you want to be married anymore? Did I do something? Is it because I didn’t make my bed last week? I promise it won’t happen again! I’ll be better, I swear!” 

“No, no, no, no,” my dad said, waving his hands to try to get her attention. “You have done absolutely nothing wrong.” 

“Hey, this is not your fault,” my mom said in her ‘calming voice’ as I liked to call it. “No one is to blame here. This was a decision that your dad and I made together because we think it’s what’s best for everyone.” 

“But you guys aren’t gonna be living together anymore!” Mia yelled, tears streaming down her face. “How is that a good thing?”

My father sighed and took a second to compose himself before continuing. “Look, Princess, this was not an easy choice, but your mother and I can’t live together anymore. We fight a lot and that’s not good. For us or for either of you.” 

Mia’s lower lip trembled and she sniffled, unable to stop herself from crying. I put my arm around her and she hid herself in my chest. 

“It’s okay, Tiny,” I whispered, rubbing her arm in an attempt to get her to calm down. “I don’t like this either, but you know what’s cool about all of this? Dad has a new house and we’re each gonna get new rooms there.”

Mia looked up at me with questioning eyes. “We’re not gonna live with mom anymore?” 

I looked over at my parents with wide, questioning eyes, waiting for one of them to answer. 

“You guys will stay here during the week, but you’ll stay with your dad on the weekends,” my mom said. 

I looked down at my sister and smiled. “See? We’re still going to see them both. And we’re getting new rooms at dad’s place. We’re gonna pick out new beds and we get to decorate our rooms. You can paint yours green, like you’ve always wanted.” 

She pondered that thought for a minute and then wiped away her tears. “Am I gonna have to change schools?” she asked, looking at my parents for the answer. 

“No,” my dad said. “You’re both going to stay at your same schools. Nothing is really going to change, you’ll just have to go back and forth between houses a bit. You’ll spend weekends with me, weekdays with your mother, I’ll still take you to your games like I always do… it’s gonna be okay, Princess.”

Mia looked up at me and I gave her a reassuring smile, but there was still something else she wanted to know, I could see it. 

“What else is bothering you, Mia?” I asked. 

“It’s just- who’s gonna take care of dad?” she asked. I gave her a puzzled look and she continued. “Who’s gonna cook for him? Or wash his clothes? Or help him clean his house when we’re not there? He’s gonna be alone the whole week.” 

“I appreciate your concern, love,” my dad smiled, getting her attention. “But I’ll be fine. I’m a big boy, I can take care of myself.” 

Mia’s lower lip started to tremble and she ran over to my parents, throwing herself in their arms. She sobbed into their shoulders, begging my dad to stay and asking my mom not to make him leave. My parents tried to explain to her that they made this decision together, that no one was kicking anyone out, but Mia wouldn’t listen to reason. She cried and screamed and told them that she wouldn’t let him go, that he couldn’t leave us.

My heart broke as I watched her throw the biggest tantrum she’d ever had. I was frozen in place, not knowing what to do. I felt helpless. I didn’t know what to say to her to get her to calm down. I didn’t know if me stepping in would even help at all, or if it would just make things worse. 

I started to panic; breathing suddenly became impossible, my palms started to sweat, the room felt weird, like I was detached from my body. My mom looked over at me and then at my dad, who gave her a nod in my direction as if telling her to go. She gently nudged Mia over into his arms and walked over to me as he tried to get her to breathe, whispering something to her that I couldn’t quite make out over the ringing in my ears. 

My mom rushed over to my side and took my face in her hands. “Hope. Hope, look at me.” 

My eyes settled on hers, but I continued to hyperventilate. 

“Hey, breathe. It’s okay, just follow my lead, okay?” I looked over at Mia, but she got my attention back. “No, don’t worry about her. She’s gonna be okay, your dad has her. I need you to focus on me right now.” She moved her hands from my face to my shoulders and waited for me to give her some sort of signal that I was on board.

I nodded and she smiled at me. “Okay, deep breath in… and out.” 

I followed her instructions and breathed with her until I felt okay again. When I stopped feeling like the room was spinning I nodded and she took her hands away from my arms. 

“Are you okay?” she asked me, her eyes full of worry, but her smile relieved that I was more calm. I shook my head and let out a heavy sigh. 

“I- I don’t know what happened. I just, I freaked out I guess,” I said, still having some trouble concentrating. I pushed my hair back and away from my neck, still feeling a little hot. 

“Let’s go get some air,” my mom suggested, putting out her hand for me to take. I looked over at my dad and found that he was quietly rocking a still crying Mia in his arms. He noticed me looking at him and gave me a small nod, telling me that she was okay. 

I looked up at my mom and took her hand, letting her lead me outside. 

We walked a little ways down the street in silence until I decided to speak. “I’m sorry.” 

My mom’s face was perplexed when she looked over at me. “For what?”

“For freaking out back there and making things harder for you and dad. You guys were trying to take care of Mia and then there I go making things worse by freaking out too.” 

My mom stopped and made me look at her. “It’s not your fault that you had a panic attack, Hope. You were probably just as overwhelmed as we were and that’s why you freaked out. That’s not something you should feel ashamed of or have to apologize for. Ever.” 

I frowned and looked away from her, focusing my attention on my shoes. “I just- I felt so useless when she started crying. I didn’t know how to help her, but I wanted to and I- I don’t know.”

“Sweetie, it’s okay,” she said, pulling me into her arms. “It wasn’t your responsibility to take care of the situation. I appreciate that you wanted to help, but you did your best and that’s all that matters. I just want to make sure that you’re okay now.” 

“I’m okay,” I whispered and I felt her let out a sigh of relief. 

I buried my face in her neck and sighed as well, letting her just hold me for a few seconds. When she let me go, she smiled at me and took my hand. 

“Come on,” she said, nodding her head in the direction of the house. “Let’s go back and check to see how they’re doing.” 

I nodded and followed her back to the house, finding Mia asleep in my father’s arms when we entered the living room. 

“What happened?” my mom asked quietly. 

My dad stroked her hair and continued to rock her as he answered. “She kept crying and asking me not to move out until she fell asleep. I tried explaining to her that I had to, but she wouldn’t listen.” 

“It’s gonna take her some time to wrap her head around the situation,” my mom whispered. “Let’s just put her to bed now, we’ll deal with things in the morning.” 

“Yeah, I should get going anyways,” my dad said, getting up with Mia in his arms. He was about to head upstairs when I stopped him. 

“Hey,” I called out, “Do you mind putting her in my room? I don’t want her to wake up alone.” 

He gave me a sad smile, but nodded anyways and headed upstairs. I watched them disappear into my room, only to see my dad walk out a few seconds later empty handed, shutting the door once he was out in the hallway again. He headed back down and grabbed his coat from the back of the couch before he kissed my forehead and whispered a simple, “goodnight.” 

And then he was gone. 

A tear escaped my eye when I heard the door close, but I wiped it away before my mom had a chance to notice. I didn’t want her to worry about me anymore than she already was. 

“I think I’m gonna go to bed,” I said suddenly, giving her a very forced smile before I called out a quick, “goodnight,” over my shoulder and rushed up the stairs, not giving her the chance to respond.

I closed my door behind me as quietly as I could and let myself fall onto my desk chair with a huff. I shut my eyes for a minute, listening to my sister’s even breathing. When I looked over at her, my heart began to ache. Even in the dim light, I could see the tear stains on her cheeks and the way her eyes were still a little red around the edges. She was balled up into the fetal position, something she only did when she was really upset about something. 

I turned around and pulled out my phone, knowing that if I didn’t distract myself then I’d start crying, and if that happened I wouldn’t be able to stop. 

I mindlessly scrolled through instagram for a while, quickly growing bored of seeing people’s perfect lives. I switched over to youtube, but when I couldn’t find anything that I wanted to watch I decided to just give in and call Josie. 

It was pretty late by that point, but I knew she was still awake. And even if she wasn’t, she’d still answer. It was something she made very clear to me early on in our friendship, and something she emphasized even more in our relationship. “You can call me at the break of dawn, I won’t be mad. If you need me, call me.” 

The phone rang three times before she answered. She had clearly not been asleep, judging by the way her room was lit up with the tv still on in the background. 

“Hey babe,” she said, her voice a little concerned. “Is everything okay?” 

“Not really,” I said honestly. “We told Mia.” 

“Ohh,” she winced. “I’m assuming she didn’t take it too well.” 

I let out a single, humorless laugh. “That’s one way of putting it.” 

“What happened?”

I gave her the cliff notes, telling her about Mia’s meltdown, but leaving out the part about my panic attack; I knew she’d overreact if I told her, and I really didn’t want to talk about it, so I decided that I’d hold off on telling her that one little detail. Maybe I’ll tell her later if it comes up, but for the time being it didn’t seem as important compared to my sister. 

“Woah,” she breathed after I was done. “Poor Mia… I never thought she’d take it that bad.” 

“Me neither.” 

“How are you holding up?” she asked, examining my face on her screen. 

“Fine, I’m just worried about her,” I sighed. 

“Yeah, me too.” 

“Hope?” Mia called out quietly. I looked over and saw her sit up, squinting at me in the dark. I gave her a small smile and walked over to her, taking a seat beside her on the bed. 

“Hey, Tiny.” 

“Did dad leave?” She sounded so sad when she asked, it hurt me to see her that way, but there really wasn’t anything I could do other than be there for her. 

“Yeah… he had to go back to his house, but he’ll stop by tomorrow.” 

She didn’t say anything, her eyes just glossed over as if she were about to start crying again when she noticed my phone. 

“Is that Josie?” she asked, her mood lightening a little. I picked up my phone so she could see and Josie waved at her, taking herself off mute. 

“Hi baby Mikaelson,” Josie smiled. Mia shot her a smile back and waved shyly. “How’re you feeling?” 

Mia sighed, frowning as she answered. “Tired. Sad. Mad.” 

Josie gave her a sympathetic smile. “Aww, I’m sorry Mia. I get it. You know, my parents also got a divorce when I was little.” 

“Really?” Mia asked, her full attention on my girlfriend now. 

“Yeah,” Josie said, “but it wasn’t that bad. I mean, it was hard at first, but then we got to have two houses and Lizzie and I got new rooms and beds and a whole bunch of new clothes so we didn’t have to worry about bringing them back and forth. We even made some new friends when we started going over to my mom’s house. That’s actually how I met your sister.” 

Mia’s eyes brightened when she said that, looking up at me for confirmation to what Josie was saying with a little smile playing at the corners of her mouth. I chuckled and nodded. 

“It’s true. We started going to the same park and then we ended up at the same school and we just became friends.” 

Mia smiled, but then she frowned again, thinking of something else. 

“I don’t want my daddy to leave. I like both of them tucking me in at bedtime. It’s not the same when it’s just mommy or just daddy.” 

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and hugged her tight to my body. I could feel her shiver as she started to cry again. Josie gave me a worried look through the phone and I screamed at her with my eyes, telling her that I had no idea what to do, or say. She seemed to understand and suddenly her eyes lit up, telling me she’d gotten an idea. 

“Hey Mia,” Josie said. Mia wiped at her eyes and looked up at Josie. “What’s the name of that one song you like? The one from ‘The Lion King’?”

“Hakuna Matata?” Mia asked. Josie smiled and nodded. 

“How does it go again?” 

Mia took in a shaky breath and started the song. After the first part her and Josie started reenacting the scene from the movie. I laughed silently as I watched them get into it, reciting all the lines perfectly. It made sense, they’d both seen the movie about a million times. I was just glad that Mia was smiling, her tears stopping shortly after they’d begun singing the song. 

When they were all done Mia sighed and laid down, cuddling into my side. I gave Josie a grateful smile and she winked at me. 

“Josie?” Mia said. 

“Yes?” 

“Can you sing another song, please?” 

Josie grinned. “Sure. Any requests?” 

Mia gave it some thought before she answered, smirking up at me when she did. “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” 

I laughed and poked her side, getting a little yelp from her as she slapped my hand away. 

“Very smooth, Tiny,” I whispered to her. She looked over at Josie and waited. 

Josie’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she averted her gaze for a moment before looking back at the camera. She let out a calming breath and started to sing, her voice quiet, but perfectly in pitch nonetheless. 

‘Wise men say 

Only fools rush in

But I can’t help 

Falling in love with you’

She looked at me while she sang, her eyes so full of love it made my stomach fill with butterflies. My face turned red and suddenly I was glad the lights were off so she couldn’t see how much her voice affected me. 

‘Oh shall I stay? 

Would it be a sin? 

Oh if I can’t help 

Falling in love with you’

Mia laid next to me with her eyes closed. I wasn’t sure if she was asleep, but she looked a lot calmer and that’s all that mattered. 

Josie kept singing and I simply listened, completely enamored with everything about her; her voice, her smile, the way she looked at me when she sang certain lines, the way her forehead would crease when she sang a higher note. The simple fact that she was doing this for my sister, singing her to sleep because she was concerned about her, made me fall even more in love with her. That’s not something that I thought was possible, but her doing all of this, it made me see a different part of her that was just so incredible it made me want to hug her and kiss her and tell her how much I loved her. 

When she sang out the final note we both turned our attention to Mia and smiled. She was definitely asleep. Her breathing was even and her expression was peaceful, which put my mind at ease. 

I looked over at my girlfriend and smiled. 

“Thank you,” I whispered. “That was beautiful.” 

“Anytime. I’m just glad I could help.” 

I yawned involuntarily and she tapped on her screen, checking the time, no doubt. 

“It’s late, you should try to get some sleep,” she said. 

“Yeah… you’re right.” I shuffled around trying to get comfortable, laying on my side with my back to my sister. “Hey, you think you can come over tomorrow? I wanted to get Mia out of the house, but I could really use your help. Cause, you know, you were so great with her tonight and she loves you as it is, so…”

Josie chuckled. “I have a few things to do in the morning, but i’m free after lunch?” 

“Perfect.” 

“Okay, I’ll see you then,” she said. “I love you. Sweet dreams.” 

“I love you too. Goodnight,” I whispered, turning off my phone and setting it on the nightstand next to my bed. 

I flipped over and laid on my back, casting a glance at my sister to make sure she was okay. Once I saw she was still asleep I faced the ceiling and got lost in my thoughts. I thought about Josie and the songs she’d sang moments ago. I thought back to the day we’d met at the park, the first time I’d seen her in school about a week later, recognizing her from the few times we’d played together. I thought about our first kiss, and then every kiss I could recall after that. I thought about seeing her tomorrow and for some reason I got very excited at the idea. I guess it didn’t matter how long we dated for, I was always going to get excited at the thought of seeing her. 

I fell asleep shortly after, dreaming about what the rest of my life would look like with her. And let me tell you, it was pretty great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's clearly more that happens after this. Again, let me know if you want me to continue or if I should just stop. I really had no intentions of making this a full blown story, but I'm invested now lol. Let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :) this is kind of a long one, and to be honest it feels like a filler chapter. I'm trying to build up to their first holiday with just one of their parents, so I kind of felt the need to add this in. Originally I had no intentions of making this day an entire chapter, but I got a little carried away. I tried to rush through it, but I didn't like the way it came out, so I just rolled with it. Also, I wanted you guys to see the beginnings of Mia's behavioral problems because, as Hope mentions, it only gets worse from then out. So, here you go. But enough of my rambling, hope y'all enjoy :)

Mia was always a happy kid; always running around and laughing. She had the ability to brighten up a room as soon as she stepped in the door. She had this light about her that I always admired. But today it was like she had a storm cloud hovering over her head. She walked around the house with her feet dragging as she went, she wouldn’t smile like she typically did, and she refused to eat. 

“Come on, Tiny,” I begged, “at least finish your toast.” 

She pushed her eggs around the plate with her fork, leaning her head against her right hand with a pout on her lips. “I’m not hungry.” 

“Mia, please,” my mom sighed. “I know you’re upset, but you have to eat something.” 

She didn’t look up. “Why?” 

“Because you’re going to the park with your sister and you might faint if you don’t eat anything.” 

“I don’t want to go to the park,” she grumbled.

“Josie’s coming with us,” I offered, hoping that would be enough of an incentive for her to want to go. 

Mia stopped pushing her food and looked up at me through her eyelashes. I raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed. 

“Fine,” she said. I smiled victoriously when she grabbed the fork and started eating. My mom looked relieved as well, mouthing a small ‘thank you’ to me accompanied by a warm smile. 

Mia didn’t finish her food, but she did eat half, which was better than nothing. 

“May I be excused?” she asked, looking up at my mom. 

“Yes you may,” my mother responded. 

Mia got up and walked back up to her room, leaving the chair out and her plate on the table. I looked over at my mom and raised an eyebrow in question, but she just shook her head and waved it off. 

“She’ll be fine,” she whispered, her eyes closed and her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. “She’s just having a hard time adjusting, but it hasn’t even been a day since we told her, she just needs time to get used to the idea.” 

“I really hope so,” I responded. She looked up at me, a questioning look in her eyes. 

“How are you doing with all of this?” 

I gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” 

“Hope,” she said, her tone serious. “It’s okay if you’re struggling with this, too, you know that right? I know I’ve been a little distracted for the past few weeks trying to get things settled in court with your father, but you can talk to me if you’re having trouble with it.” 

“I know,” I said, keeping my expression calm. “But honestly, I’m okay. I’m just worried about Mia.” 

“Okay,” she said, dragging the word out. She let it go, but I knew she still didn’t believe me. 

I chuckled as I helped her clear the table. We took the plates over to the sink and washed them together, talking about our plans for the day as we worked. I gave her more details about my plans to take Mia to the park with Josie and then out to lunch. She smiled, telling me she was glad I was bringing Josie along since her and Mia seemed to have developed a very unique bond, sisterly almost. 

She frowned when I asked her about her plans for the day. She said she had to go see my dad so they could settle some disagreement they were having. I tried asking what it was about, but she wouldn’t budge. 

“It’s silly grown up stuff, nothing you need to worry about,” she said, brushing the hair away from my face and tucking it behind my ear after she dried her hands. 

I gave her a disapproving look, but she just kissed my forehead and gently shoved me in the direction of the stairs. “Go check on your sister and get ready, your girlfriend will be here soon.” 

I playfully rolled my eyes, but did as she asked, jogging up the stairs until I reached my sister’s room. I knocked gently on the door and waited until I heard a soft, “Come in,” from the other side to turn the knob. 

I found Mia laying on her bed staring up at the ceiling, still in her pajamas. 

“Hey, why aren’t you dressed yet? Jo’s gonna be here any minute.” 

She didn’t look at me. “Couldn’t find anything to wear.” 

I closed the door and walked over to her dresser, pulling out a white shirt, a light pink sweater, and a pair of matching sweats and setting it on the edge of her bed. 

She glanced over at the clothes, but then went right back to staring off into space. 

“Thanks,” she mumbled. 

I frowned at her, starting to get really worried now. I hated seeing her so down and knowing that there wasn’t much I could do to help, but that wasn’t going to stop me from trying. 

“Come here,” I said, sitting down and patting the spot on the bed next to me. She looked over at me and hesitated for a second before she sat up and scooched over until she was right next to me. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked. She shook her head. “Okay, then let’s talk about what you want to do today.” 

“I don’t want to do anything,” she grumbled, throwing herself back on the bed. I grabbed her by the shoulders and sat her up again. 

“Well too bad, we’re going to the park whether you like it or not,” I said with a mock stern in my tone, poking her side as I talked. She giggled involuntarily, trying to fight off the smile that took over her face but failing miserably. 

I attacked her sides mercilessly until she was on the verge of tears. 

“Okay! Okay! You win!” she shouted, continuing to laugh well after I was done tickling her. She panted for a while until she caught her breath. 

“I think I want to play soccer,” she said finally. “I just want to run.” 

“Okay, we can do that,” I smiled. “Anything else?” 

She thought about it for a second. “Monkey bars. And you and Josie have to do them with me. And you have to push me on the swings.” 

“Done. Now get dressed and I’ll be back to do your hair after I get ready.” 

She nodded and hopped off the bed, taking the outfit I’d laid out for her into the bathroom out in the hall. I grinned, mentally high-fiving myself for getting her to laugh. I didn’t know if it would last, but I would take anything I could get. 

I got up and walked over to my room. I spent roughly about half an hour getting ready since I already knew what I wanted to wear and my hair and makeup was simple. By the time I finished and headed over to Mia’s room she was dressed and sitting on the edge of her bed with her soccer ball in hand, tossing it back and forth. 

I called her over to the bathroom and pulled her long, light brown locks into a high ponytail. She looked dazed as I brushed out the small tangles in her hair. 

“What are you thinking about?” I asked casually. 

“Dad,” she responded, almost involuntarily. 

“What about dad?” 

She shrugged. “Just what he’s doing today. It’s Saturday. He always took us to get frozen yogurt on Saturdays.” 

My heart clenched at the memories that came with her words. It was true. Every Saturday my dad would take us out to this little shop hidden in the French Quarter; they had the best frozen yogurt I’d ever had. Mia loved it. She’d always get the same thing; strawberry and vanilla swirl with gummy bears and chocolate chips. She’d make a show of eating her gummy bears, biting their heads off and pretending they were screaming for their lives. My dad always got a kick out of it. He’d snatch one of them from her cup and do the same while my mom and I watched and laughed at them. 

It was a very bitter-sweet memory now and it hurt too much to think about so I pushed it out of my mind for the time being and focused on my sister. 

“We can go get frozen yogurt if you want,” I offered, but she shook her head and looked at me through the mirror. 

“It’s not the same without dad,” she said, looking down at her hands and picking at her fingernails. 

I finished untangling her hair and set the comb down. “Well, if you change your mind the offer still stands.” 

She nodded and turned around to face me. “Is Josie here yet?” 

Just as she asked I received a message from her. I laughed at the delighted expression on her face when she saw the notification pop up on my screen. 

“Sometimes I swear you’re a witch,” I chuckled. She raised her arms over her head in a very overexaggerated shrug and giggled. 

“What can I say? I’m just that good.” She took off to her room to grab her things as I texted Josie back, telling her we would be down in a minute. 

A few seconds later I watched as Mia sprinted down the stairs with her soccer bag thrown over her arm, zooming past my mother, calling out a simple, “bye mom!” over her shoulder before she threw open the door and ran out. My mom stood there, a confused, but joyful look on her face. 

I walked down the steps, kissing her cheek as I walked by. 

“I’ll text you when we get back,” I said before I walked out. 

“Okay, have fun,” she called out. “And be careful!” 

“Will do,” I smiled, closing the door once I was out. When I turned around I found Josie leaning against the door with my sister hugging her legs, craning her neck to look at her as they talked.  
I walked over to them, getting Josie’s attention when she saw me.

Mia let go of her legs and stepped aside, wagging her eyebrows at me before she giggled and stepped into the back seat. 

“What were you guys talking about?” I asked, leaning in to kiss her lips before she responded. 

“Nothing, Mia was just telling me what she wanted to do today,” she smiled. “Come on, let’s go before Lizzie gets impatient.” 

“I am not impatient,” the blonde said, rolling her eyes as she spoke, “I just have places to be.” 

“Plans with your boyfriend?” I asked, playfully smirking at her as I slid into the back seat. 

“MG is not my boyfriend,” she retorted, but then added, “we’re taking things slow.” 

Josie stepped into the passenger’s seat and Lizzie took off as soon as the door shut. 

We listened to the radio as we drove, Josie singing along to almost every song that came on while Lizzie hummed quietly, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the music. 

Mia didn’t talk much, which was very out of character for her, but then again it was to be expected. She stared out the window the entire ride, hugging her bag tightly to her chest as she counted the number of white cars she saw under her breath; it was a sort of calming habit she’d developed a little while ago. 

Josie looked back at me at one point during the drive, asking me with her eyes if she was okay. I didn’t really know, so I just shrugged and shook my head. She gave me a sympathetic smile and turned her attention back to the front, tuning back into the song that was currently on. 

When we arrived, Lizzie stopped the car by the playground and turned around to face my sister. 

“Hey Mia, I’m going to the store later, you want me to bring you back anything?” 

Mia shook her head. “No thanks.” 

Lizzie gave her a puzzled look. “You sure? Not even those little Mexican candies you like?” 

“Nah, I’m okay,” she said. 

Lizzie gave her a little smile. I could see the confusion in it. 

“Okay,” the blonde nodded. “Well have fun. I’ll see you later.” 

“Thanks,” Mia smiled, but it seemed a little forced. She unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car, throwing her bag over her shoulder and taking Josie’s hand once she’d stepped out as well. 

Lizzie looked at me through the rearview mirror, her eyes full of worry. 

“That wasn’t very like her,” she commented. “Is everything okay?” 

“Josie didn’t tell you?” I asked, honestly surprised that she hadn’t mentioned it. The two of them were inseparable, they told each other everything; I figured Josie would have told her. 

“Tell me what?”

“My parents are getting divorced,” I said. “They told Mia last night.” 

Her face turned into one of sympathy as understanding set in. “She’s not taking the news too well, is she?” 

I laughed dryly, recalling the previous night’s events. “You have no idea,” I sighed. 

She gave me a genuine smile. “Well let me know if there’s anything I can do. I mean it.” 

“Thanks, Lizzie,” I said, touching her shoulder before I got out of the car. 

I shut the door and walked around the car, heading over in the direction of the soccer fields where Josie and Mia were warming up. Mia was clearly leading, which made me chuckle. I took my time, watching as Mia barked out orders and Josie very obediently followed directions. 

When I got there Josie smiled at me. “I think we have a team captain in the makings here,” she said, stretching out her arms. 

I looked over at Mia and she grinned proudly at the compliment. 

“Really?” I asked. “Okay then, captain. What do I do?” 

“Well you’re late, so take a lap,” she ordered, a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth as she tried to be all business. “And then when you’re done you can join us in stretches.” 

I saluted, saying, “Yes ma’am,” before I started jogging around the field, only going to the halfway mark. I could hear the two of them giggle as I took off. And sure enough when I glanced back at them they were caught in a fit of laughter. 

When I made it back, they were sitting down on the grass, reaching over to touch their toes. I sat down next to Josie and joined them. Once we were all done stretching, Mia took out her ball and kicked it over to the penalty box. We did some practice shots, Mia correcting us on our form and showing us how to kick straight. 

There was something about watching her kick the ball into the goal that worried me a little. There was so much anger behind every shot she took, so much aggression that it made me uneasy. On the one hand I was glad that she had a way to get her anger out, but on the other hand, the fact that she had so much of it in her, it put me a little on edge. 

I shook the feeling off and tried to focus on what was going on. Mia wanted to play a game, but there were three of us so she was trying to figure out how to do it. 

“How about you and Josie against me?” I suggested. The two of them looked at each other and then back at me. 

“I don’t think that’s fair,” Mia said. “You won’t stand a chance.” 

I let out a single chuckle and crossed my arms. “I am offended.” 

“Sorry, babe, but she’s right,” Josie said. “Mia is really good on her own and, let’s face it, I’m a beast on the field.” 

“And what about me?” I asked. “Are you suggesting that I’m not good?” 

“No,” she said, walking closer to me and taking my hands. “Of course not, I’m just saying…”

“That we’re gonna crush you,” Mia said, her tone serious, but her face was humorous. 

I opened my mouth in fake offense, making her laugh. “Oh, now it’s on. You watch, I am perfectly capable of taking the two of you on.” 

“Okay,” Josie giggled. She walked over to Mia and leaned down, whispering something in her ear. Mia nodded and gave her a low five, skipping over to center field with the ball at her feet. 

“What was that about?” I asked, jogging to catch up to the brunette. 

She turned around with a playful smirk on her lips. “Sorry, my love. Talk between teammates, I can’t discuss it with the competition.” 

I glared at her. “Oh, okay. Whatever,” I laughed. “You guys are mean.” 

Josie gave me a quick peck and then skipped off to my sister’s side. 

“Love you!” she shouted as she ran away from me. I rolled my eyes and followed, meeting them at center field, ready to play. 

They won. It was, however, a really close game. The final score was 10-9 and the only reason they won was because they cheated at the end, though neither of them would admit it. 

“That was totally cheating!” I shouted, taking a sip from the water bottle my sister had packed for me. “It was a bad call! I did not trip you, you’re just clumsy.” 

Josie gaped at me, fully offended by my words. “Nuh-uh! You stuck your foot out, Mia saw it. Right Mia?” 

We both turned our attention to the six year old, who crossed her arms over her chest and nodded with an air of authority around her. “Yup,”she declared. “I saw it with my own two eyes.” 

“Well of course she’s going to defend you, you’re on her team.” I rolled my eyes. Josie bumped into me, making me lose my balance, but she caught me before I could fall, pulling me in close to her. She smiled and threw her arms around my shoulders, locking her fingers behind my neck. 

“It’s just a game, Hope,” she muttered, her lips dangerously close to mine. 

I watched out of the corner of my eyes as Mia took a drink from her water bottle and looked over at us, a comical expression taking over her face as her eyes widened while her mouth was full of water. She swallowed and turned slowly in the other direction, looking towards the soccer field next to ours where a group of kids were just starting a game. 

I looked directly at Josie, my eyes flashing down to her lips and leaning in close whispering, “You wouldn’t be saying that if the roles were reversed,” before I walked away. 

I grabbed my phone from the bench and checked the time. 

It was still really early and Lizzie wouldn’t be back for at least another hour, so we grabbed our things, threw them in Mia’s red soccer bag and headed over to the playground. 

Mia raced in front of us, heading straight for the monkey bars. Josie walked next to me, taking my hand and swinging it back and forth as we followed my sister to the rusty jungle gym. 

“She seems to be doing okay,” Josie observed. I watched as Mia dropped her bag by the stairs and started to attempt to make it across on her own, falling on the fourth ring. She got back up and tried again. 

“Yeah,” I agreed. “But I’m not sure how long it’ll last. She was really down this morning; she didn’t even finish her breakfast.” 

Josie frowned at that. 

“Come on, you turtles!” Mia yelled. “I need help!” 

We chuckled and walked a little faster. 

“We’re coming, we’re coming!” I shouted back. 

Josie let go of my hand when we got there, joining my sister in trying to get across. I grabbed onto Mia’s legs, helping her on the last two rings before she fell. 

We spent the next half an hour on the monkey bars until Mia was finally able to do it on her own. She was relentless, insisting that she could do it until she did. Josie smiled, telling her how proud she was when she jumped down after having made it. I gave her a hug, shouting, “good job, Tiny!” and shaking her lightly in excitement. She beamed at our praise, but her eyes got sad for a split second afterwards. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked, my eyebrows drawing in in confusion. 

She shook her head and smiled again. “Nothing,” she said. “Can we go to the swings?”

“Yeah,” I said, glancing up at Josie and then back at her. “Yeah, sure.” 

She turned her attention to Josie and said, “Race you there?” 

Josie smirked.“You’re on.” 

And then they were off. 

I shook my head and walked over to the stairs where Mia had left her bag. I grabbed it and threw it over my shoulder, walking off to the swing set where Josie was pushing Mia as high as the small blue swing would allow her to go. Mia screamed in excitement every time she got higher and higher, making Josie laugh along with her as she asked if she wanted to keep going. 

I took a moment to appreciate the sight before me, thanking my lucky stars that she was enjoying herself. This is the Mia I knew and loved. All smiles and giggles and laughter, no worries or troubles weighing her down. 

“Come on, Hope!” she shouted when she saw me. She was out of breath from screaming. “You have to push Josie!” 

“Yeah, Hope! You have to push me,” Josie laughed, moving from behind my sister and sitting down on the swing next to her. 

I dropped the bag off to the side of the swing set and ran over to stand behind Josie. I grabbed the metal chains and pulled her back, releasing her with a forceful shove that made her scream. Mia laughed when she heard Josie yell, swinging her feet to keep herself going. 

We took turns on the swings. Mia tried to push Josie and I and failed terribly, making us all laugh uncontrollably. We could have stayed there all day, but there was a group of kids that wanted to get on, so we got off and decided to walk over to the nearest diner to eat since it was close to two thirty at that point. 

We sat down in a little booth off to the side by a window, Josie and I on one side and Mia across from us on the other; she had insisted that the couple had to ‘stay together’, which made me a little sad when I realized the hidden meaning behind her words. 

Our server brought us our menus, handing the kid’s menu to Mia along with some crayons. She colored it messily, going outside the lines - which is something she typically hated to do - and scribbled down the answers on the little puzzles half-heartedly. I tried to tell myself that she was just tired, but I knew deep down that wasn’t it. 

The waitress arrived shortly after to take our order. 

“What do you want to eat, Tiny?” I asked, nudging her hand on the table. 

She shrugged without looking up from the word search she was currently working on. “I’m not really hungry.” 

“I can give you guys a minute if you want,” the girl said, noticing the sad expression on my sister’s face and giving me a compassionate smile. 

I returned her smile and nodded. “That’d be great. Thanks.” 

She clicked her pen and placed it back in her pocket, turning on her heel and walking over to another table. I looked over at Josie, begging her to help me out. She put her hand on top of mine under the table and looked over at Mia. 

“Hey, munchkin,” she said. Mia looked up at her, eyes widening in question. “I’ll make you a deal: if you order something, and you eat all of it, we’ll have a sleepover tonight.” 

Mia’s eyes sparkled at the offer. She tried to contain her excitement, but it was so clear on her face that it was pointless of her to try to hide it. 

“Really?” Mia questioned, looking back and forth between the two of us. 

Josie looked over at me and quietly asked, “That’s okay, right? Your mom won’t mind?” 

“I don’t see why she would,” I muttered back. “She does like you, you know.” 

Josie smiled and looked back at Mia, giving her a slight nod. “So do we have a deal?” 

Mia pretended to think about it for a moment. 

“Okay, deal!” she exclaimed, bouncing a little in her seat with an excited grin on her face now. I squeezed Josie’s hand as a small ‘thank you’ and she squeezed back in response. 

The waitress returned after a few minutes, giving Mia time to look over her options with us and make a decision. 

She ordered a six piece of chicken nuggets with fries and an apple juice, I ordered a hamburger with a side of fries and a sprite, and Josie decided on a cheeseburger with a coke. When the girl walked away I turned to look at my girlfriend with an accusatory glare. 

“You’re gonna steal my fries, aren’t you?” I asked. 

She giggled and gave me a cheesy smile. “Yep. And you’re gonna let me because you love me.”  
I shook my head and shoved her with my shoulder, letting out a frustrated sigh. “Sometimes I don’t know how I put up with you.” 

Mia giggled at us, but went back to her word search, circling the next word she found in bright green crayon. I watched her as she worked on the search while Josie leaned her head on my shoulder and whispered in my ear. 

“Sorry I didn’t ask you before I offered the sleepover, but it was the only thing I could think of that might’ve worked.” 

“You have no reason to apologize,” I said, running my thumb over the back of her hand. “Hell, if i’d known that to get you to spend the night all I had to do was refuse to eat so you’d offer, I would have done it ages ago.” 

She playfully smacked my thigh with her free hand and I chuckled. 

Mia was so lost in her thoughts she didn’t look up until her food was being set down in front of her. She set her box of crayons and her menu off to the side and ate slowly. She took longer than Josie and I, but she finished everything and that’s all I cared about. We offered to buy her dessert as well, but she claimed she was full, so after we finished eating and I paid - much to Josie’s disappointment - we left. 

Lizzie was waiting for us back at the park in the same spot where she’d dropped us off, accompanied by MG this time. The three of us squeezed into the back seat with Mia in the middle after greeting the two in the front. 

We exchanged stories about our days as we drove back to my house. They told us about their study session and their trip to the store, Lizzie chuckling as she told us about MG’s run in with an old fling - which MG did not fund amusing. MG managed to use his power of cheerfulness to get my sister to talk. She told them about our soccer game and giggled when she mentioned I was a sore loser. She told them about the monkey bars and how she finally got across all by herself, blushing slightly when they beamed at her newest accomplishment. 

By the time we were back at our house she was finishing up telling them about the impromptu sleepover she’d earned for finishing her lunch. 

“And we’re not invited?” MG teased. 

“Sorry,” Mia said, leaning against his door. “No boys allowed. Lizzie can stay though.” 

We all chuckled. 

“Sorry, little one. We have places to be, but next time for sure.” She sent her a wink and Mia nodded. 

“Okay. I’ll see you guys later!” She took her soccer bag out of Josie’s hands and started walking over to the gates. 

I leaned into the window on the passenger’s side, looking at both of them as I spoke. “Thanks for the ride. And thank you, MG, for getting her to talk. I really appreciate it.” 

“That’s what friends are for,” he shrugged, giving me a crooked smile. 

Josie leaned down and looked over at her sister. “Can you bring me my overnight bag later, please?”

“Do I have to?” the blonde whined. Josie gave her a stern look and Lizzie sighed. “Fine. But only because you’re staying for Mia.” 

“Thank you,” Josie smiled. She turned on her heel and followed after Mia, who was waiting by the gate with a very bored expression on her face. 

I tapped on the hood of the car and followed after them, hearing the car pull away shortly after. I unlocked the gate and let them in. Mia took off as soon as it was open, rushing up the stairs to drop off her bag. 

I closed the door and took out my phone to text my mom and let her know we were back home. She responded almost immediately, telling me that she was going to be out a little later than expected, but offered no explanation as to why. I decided not to ask and sent back a simple ‘okay, love you’ before I locked my screen and tossed my phone on the coffee table. 

When I looked up I found Josie sitting on the couch with her arms held open for me. I smiled and fell into them, curling up on her chest and letting out a content sigh when she started to run her fingers through my hair. 

We laid there in silence for a little while, but it didn’t last. Mia came skipping down the stairs shortly after with a blanket and some pillows tucked under one arm and her copy of “Beauty and the Beast” in the other, a pleading look in her eyes. 

I looked up at Josie and she smiled. 

“I’ll get the popcorn,” Josie declared. I moved off of her and headed towards the stairs. 

“I’ll go get us blankets,” I said. 

“I’ll put the movie in!” Mia exclaimed. 

After everything was set up and Josie had gotten us food and drinks, we settled in on the couch, Mia snuggled up between Josie and I, and started the movie. 

We all got pretty into it, but mostly Mia. She had seen it a million times over, but she still reacted to it as if it were the first time she was watching it. She and Josie sang along to the songs and danced in their seats, making me chuckle and watch them instead of the screen. 

When the movie ended, Mia wanted to watch another one. 

“Tiny, you know how mom feels about you watching too much tv. How about we do something else?” I asked. “We can play barbies in your room?” 

“No, I want to watch another movie!” She scowled, standing in front of me and crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Okay,” I said, a little taken aback by her reaction. I wasn’t sure what to do, and by the look that crossed over Josie’s face, she didn’t either. “Let me call mom and ask her if it’s okay, alright?” 

“No,” she whined. “She’s gonna say no.” 

“Mia, I can’t let you watch tv anymore, we’re gonna get in trouble.” 

“You’re the worst sister ever!” She shouted, stomping up the stairs and slamming her door shut. 

I flinched slightly at the sound and stared in shock at the space where she had been standing not too long ago. Josie placed her hand gently on my shoulder. I looked over at her with wide eyes.  
“I-” I choked out, “I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened.” 

“It’s okay,” she said, scooting closer to me. “Lizzie went through the same thing. She was angry at our parents, but we were so little that she couldn’t separate her emotions, so she lashed out at everyone with no warning.”

I put my face in my hands and let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what to do.” 

“Let’s just give her some space,” Josie offered, rubbing my back as she spoke. “She’ll calm down eventually.” 

And she was right. It wasn’t until a few hours later, but she eventually came out of her room and apologized for how she behaved. I tried talking to her about why she behaved the way she did, but she wouldn’t say anything about it. She could barely look me in the eyes as she spoke. 

Josie suggested that we just move on and do something else, but Mia claimed she was tired and that she was just going to go to sleep. It was only six thirty, so I found it odd seeing as to how she always wanted to stay up late, but she did look pretty exhausted and I wasn’t sure what else I was supposed to do, so I let her go. 

I watched her as she trudged up the stairs, a gloomy expression on her face. She moved slowly, letting her feet drag slightly as she walked. 

I leaned back on the couch, feeling so utterly helpless that it hurt. Josie noticed my troubled expression and took my hand in hers. I looked over at her and gave her a sad smile, glancing down at our joined hands. 

My mom walked in a few minutes later, letting out a long and heavy sigh as she hung up her bag; she hadn’t noticed that we were sitting on the couch so she jumped a little when she saw us. 

“Oh. Hi,” she said. “I didn’t see you guys there.” 

“Hi, Ms. Marshall,” Josie smiled. My mom smiled back at her warmly. 

“So nice to see you again, Josie,” she said walking over to us and touching her shoulder. She kissed my head and moved over to the dining room, depositing a stack of papers on the table. “How are you?” 

“I’m doing pretty well,” Josie responded, watching her as she moved about. “And you?” 

My mom let out a half-hearted laugh. “I’m okay, just stressed.” 

“How’d it go with dad?” I asked. 

“Fine for the most part,” she said, flipping through the mail from earlier today. All bills, if her displeased expression was any indication. “There’s just a few things we’re not agreeing on all of a sudden that we have to compromise on, but it’s gonna be okay. We’ll figure it out.”

She looked around the room, suddenly seeming to notice that there was something, or rather someone, missing. 

“How’d it go today? Where’s Mia?” 

I looked over at Josie and she gave me a reassuring nod before I went on to explain what happened; at the park, at the diner, when we got home. All of it. 

My mom sighed when I was done, an exasperated and tired sounding sigh. 

“Well thank you for trying,” she said, forcing a smile onto her lips. “Both of you. And you’re always welcome to stay, Josie. I’m gonna go see if she’s awake and talk to her.” 

I watched as she headed up the stairs, disappearing into Mia’s room after knocking lightly on the door. I could feel Josie’s eyes on me, measuring my expression, but I kept my face blank, not really knowing how I felt at the moment other than tired. 

“Are you okay?” she asked, her tone quiet, but concerned. 

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “It’s only day one and so much has happened already. I don’t know how to help her and something tells me it’s only going to get worse from here. I just- I don’t know what to do.” 

“Hey,” she whispered. “It’s okay. We’ll figure it out.” 

She put her arms around my neck and pulled me in close to her chest. I hugged her back, making my mind go blank, only thinking of the feeling of her arms around me, taking in her comforting scent and just being there. I didn’t want to think; didn’t want to let my mind wander and come up with the millions of ways in which I screwed up today, or would in the future. I didn’t let myself be consumed by all the ‘what-ifs’ that were starting to form in my mind against my will. I just sat there, in my girlfriend's arms and got lost in her, thinking that as long as I had her by my side, I’d get through this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What'd you think? *bites nails anxiously*


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :) I've been gone for a while, my apologies. Hopefully this makes up for it. Enjoy!

Have you ever wanted to be wrong about something? I know it sounds weird, people usually don’t like to be wrong about anything, but in some instances I think people want to be mistaken. Like when you don’t think your crush likes you back, or when you think you did poorly on a test, but you’re secretly hoping that the last minute cramming session you had right before class was enough to earn you a passing grade. 

This was like one of those times, only a million times more. I so badly wanted to be wrong about Mia, about my assumption that things would only go downhill after that first day. I wanted her to come to terms with our parents’ divorce, to accept that while things wouldn’t be the same, they would be okay. But I wasn’t. I was right. Things got so, so much worse. 

That first day was a piece of cake compared to the coming weeks. I thought her lashing out at me after the movie was bad, but that was nothing. She lashed out at everyone after that. And I mean everyone. 

She refused to follow directions in class, deliberately disobeying her teachers when they gave specific instrustructions on assignments, she got into fights with her classmates - verbal and physical. She got suspended twice in the same week, she was having trouble sleeping, she’d eat some days, but not others, and she had terrible sportsmanship at her games, throwing tantrums when they lost and being a really poor sport when they won. Not to mention how terribly she acted out at home. 

When we stayed at my mom’s she’d whine and complain when she was told to do homework, she wouldn’t finish her dinner, and she’d leave her things lying around the house. When we were at my dad’s she’d talk back, stay up way past her bedtime, and when he tried to go back to his room after reading her a story, she’d cry and ask for another, throwing a tantrum until he agreed. And with me, she’d pick fights for no reason, she’d barge into my room and take things without permission, and she’d interrupt me while I was on the phone. 

My parents did everything they could to try and deal with these problems on their own. They tried grounding her, taking away all her toys and not allowing her to watch tv, but that only seemed to make things worse. They tried threatening to take away soccer and that worked for a while, but she seemed to become disinterested in playing altogether after some time. They tried everything they could think of, but nothing seemed to faze her anymore. 

I didn’t know what to do either. I tried to help; I’d sit up with her late at night when she couldn’t sleep and ask her to talk to me about what she was feeling, how I could help, but she wouldn’t tell me anything. She’d cry into my chest and I’d hold her until she fell asleep, but that’s it. She wouldn’t talk to me, she wouldn’t talk to my parents, she wouldn’t talk to anyone. 

After she’d fall asleep I’d go back to my room and cry into my pillow out of frustration. It hurt me so much to see the damage that this separation had done to the happy little girl I’d known and loved for six years. I hated that I couldn’t help her, that she wouldn’t let me help her. 

I felt so helpless and overwhelmed by everything, I'd have constant panic attacks throughout the night. I couldn’t sleep, and when I did I had nightmares; about Mia, about my parents, about Josie and I breaking up because I was so caught up in this chaos that I neglected her and she got tired of me. 

I never told her about the nightmares that involved her. The only reason that I told her about them at all was because she started to spend the night more and more often when I was at my mom’s, so she was there a couple of times when it happened. She’d stay up with me, holding me until I went back to sleep, and when I couldn’t, she’d sing and comb her fingers through my hair until I calmed down enough to talk about it. 

When she wasn’t physically there she’d call to check up on me and Mia. She’d help me tell her stories when she had nightmares. She’d sing to her until she fell asleep and then she’d stay up with me until I fell asleep, too. I felt terrible about dragging her into this, and I’d constantly apologize to her because I knew it must bring up feelings about her own parent’s divorce, but she always shut me down before I could say much. 

“Stop being ridiculous,” she’d say, playfully rolling her eyes. “I love you and your sister and I want to do everything I can to help. So if that means staying up with you until four in the morning, or telling her a million stories so she can sleep, I’m gonna do it. I have no problem with it. And besides, you don’t have to worry about me because of my parent’s divorce. It was a long time ago and I’ve dealt with it.”

It never stopped me from feeling guilty, especially because of those stupid nightmares that didn’t seem to want to go away, but hearing her say that she wasn’t going to leave just because of what was going on with my family put my mind at ease to some degree. 

Eventually my parents caved and decided that they needed professional help. It took Mia’s teachers calling an intervention because of all the fights and her grades dropping, but it worked. They decided that seeing a therapist might be the best option for her. And me. 

“Wait, why do I have to go see a shrink?” I asked. 

We were back on the couch where they broke the news about the divorce in the exact same positions as the last time, me sitting across from both of my parents only this time there was about a foot of distance between them. Mia was at tutoring, so it was just the three of us. I was having terrible dejavu and suddenly I decided that I hated this couch. I just wanted to go to my room and disappear. 

“Hope,” my father said, “I know we’ve been paying a lot more attention to Mia due to her conduct issues, but we haven’t forgotten about you. We can see that this has taken a toll on you as well.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied. They both gave me the same disapproving look, which made me uncomfortable. It was weird to have them team up against me, it felt wrong.

“You’re not sleeping,” my mom stated. “You stay up with Mia until she falls asleep and then you go back to your room and you cry until you fall asleep.” 

My cheeks reddened at the realization that she could hear me. I was thankful, however, that she’d never gone in to check on me. I don’t know what I would have done if she had. As much as I love my mom, I’ve never been one to let myself be comforted, by either of my parents. 

“Your grades are also starting to drop,” my dad said, pulling out my last report card and reading it over. “C in Honors Lit, C in Calculus, B in Anatomy, D in Economics, D in Government, C in Art III, of all subjects. The only class you’re passing with an A is PE. You cannot honestly sit there and tell us that you’re not struggling.” 

I avoided his eyes, looking over to the side of the room instead. I hated the way he said it. There was a hint of something in his voice, a mix of concern and disappointment. Whatever it was, it made a lump form in my throat that I so desperately wanted to go away. I refused to cry in front of them. 

“We just want what’s best for you,” my mom said, her voice a lot softer than my dad’s. “Please. If you won’t do it for yourself then at least do it for Mia.” 

I looked at her when she said that. Dirty play, using my sister against me like that. But I couldn’t deny that she was probably going to have to see me do it before she agreed to go in herself. 

My thoughts went into overdrive, trying to find a way out of going, but when I couldn’t I sighed and gave in. “Fine. I’ll do it.” 

They both looked relieved. My dad folded up my report card and stuffed it back in the envelope it had come in, getting up from the couch and walking over to kiss my forehead. 

“Thank you,” he whispered. He stood up straight and grabbed his keys from the coffee table. “I’ll be back later to pick you and your sister up. I have a few errands to run; I’ll be back after dinner.” 

“Okay,” I said, looking at the floor as he walked out the door without saying anything to my mom. They were on okay terms, but they weren’t as friendly as they used to be, not in front of me at least. They still tried when Mia was around, but they knew they didn’t have to when it was just me. 

I looked up at my mom only to find her gaze was already on me, examining me almost.

The way her eyes were fixed on me made me shift uncomfortably. She looked at me like I was broken; like I was something to be fixed. I knew she felt guilty about all of this. I could see it in her eyes every time she looked at Mia, and sometimes I could see it when she looked at me, too. I hated it. 

“This is completely unnecessary,” I said, breaking the awkward silence. She sighed and stood up, walking over to the kitchen. I followed after her. I wasn’t going to argue about this with my dad because there was no reasoning with him, but with her I could usually get my way if I kept at it long enough. 

“No it’s not,” she argued. “You need this, whether you want to admit it or not, you do.” 

“I’ll be fine. I’ll pick my grades up and I’ll take something to help me sleep. I don’t need a therapist.” 

“Sleeping pills don’t help with nightmares, Hope,” she informed me. 

“How did you-” I began, but then I remember that she could hear me crying, so she probably heard me screaming as well. I shook my head and opened my mouth to argue again, but she wasn’t having it anymore.

“Hope, please,” she said, her tone serious, “you already agreed to go and your father is not going to let you back out. Just drop it and go finish packing. We don’t want a repeat of last weekend.” 

I rolled my eyes. She was referring to the fact that I had forgotten my Calculus textbook here and, because both her and my dad were busy and I didn’t catch my error until Sunday, I could only study off my limited notes. Let’s just say I didn’t do too well on the test I had on Monday morning and my parents weren’t pleased. 

“Whatever,” I grumbled, turning around and heading up to my room. 

I went over my list of textbooks in my head, double checking with my binder and looking through my backpack to make sure they were all in there. Once I was positive I wasn’t forgetting anything, I threw myself down on my bed and plugged in my earbuds, deciding to listen to music and hopefully fall asleep for a while since I hadn’t slept again the night before. 

I was grateful when I slipped into a dreamless sleep a few moments later. 

“I don’t want to go!” Mia screamed as my father dragged her out of the car. 

“You don’t have a choice,” he responded, picking her up and setting her on the ground while she tried to push him away. “You’ve left us with no other options. And besides, your sister is going as well.” 

“This is stupid,” Mia sulked.

“Watch it, young lady,” my father said sternly, “you’re on very thin ice.” 

Mia crossed her arms, but didn’t say anything more. I trailed behind them, dreading this just as much as she was. 

I looked up at the sign that read “Children and Family Mental Health Services of New Orleans” and sighed quietly. I really didn’t want to be here. I hated therapy. I’d done it once before at school and the experience was unpleasant, to say the least, so now I was opposed to it. For myself. But since my sister needed it, I was willing to suck it up and go just this once. 

We walked into the waiting area and were immediately greeted by the warm aroma of lavender and jasmine. The room had a homey feeling to it, warm, welcoming. Definitely not something I was expecting, but it was a pleasant surprise. 

My father ordered us to sit down while he checked us in and we did. I led Mia over to the kid’s area. She walked over to the little blue table in the center of the room, grabbed a blank sheet of paper, some markers, and started to draw as soon as she sat down. 

I took a seat at the row of chairs a few feet away where the adults were, watching over their own kids. There was a mother on the phone two seats away from me, whispering something about her son to the person on the other end of the line. She sounded worried; from what I could make out he’d been having night terrors and they’d gotten increasingly worse. 

I felt rude listening in on her conversation, so I picked up a magazine from the little table next to me and started flipping through it. I was halfway through an article on the benefits of dark chocolate when my father sat down next to me with two clipboards in his hands. 

“You want me to fill out mine?” I offered, setting the magazine back on the table. 

He gave me a grateful smile and handed one of them over along with a pen. “That would be very helpful. Thank you.” 

I filled out the sheet in silence as he filled out the one for Mia. The only time we really talked was when I needed help with the insurance part of it, but other than that we stayed silent, both lost in our own worlds. 

When we both finished he took the papers back to the receptionist and we waited for our names to be called, which only took about fifteen minutes. I got called in first. 

“Hope Mikaelson?” A petite brunette called out with a paper in her hands. I looked over at my dad and he gave me an encouraging nod. 

“Go on,” he said softly. “We’ll be right here when you get back.” 

I took a deep breath and got out of my chair, ruffling my sister’s hair as I walked by her. 

“Hi there,” the girl said cheerfully. “Follow me please.” 

I walked behind her as she led me down a long corridor. There were so many doors on either side, all of them with a small metal plate that identified which doctor the office belonged to. It was a little intimidating, so I stopped looking at them and focused on the girl, watching as her ponytail swung back and forth with every step she took. 

“You’re going to be seeing Dr. Chavez today,” she informed me, stopping in front of a door with the name “Julio Chavez” on the silver plaque. “Don’t worry, he’s an excellent therapist.” 

She turned the handle and opened the door, moving off to the side so I could walk in. She half stepped in, said, “the doctor will be with you in just a moment,” turned around and shut the door, leaving me alone and unsure of what to do next.

I sat down on the couch closer to the door, taking one of the pillows there and setting it on my lap. I fiddled with the strings hanging off the sides, taking in the room. 

It was a small room with a cozy feel to it. There was a medium sized light brown chair in front of the couch I was sitting at. The walls were a creme color and the floor was a dark shade of brown. There was a white carpet with an intricate design in the center underneath where the coffee table sat, a potted plant in the middle. There was a kid’s play area off to the side of the room with a doll house sitting on top, cars lined up underneath in neat rows. There were board games and books on a shelf next to the table with the dolls. There were a few paintings up around the room that consisted of geometrical shapes and a variety of neutral colors. It was nice. Simple. It was the kind of room that was designed to make you feel calm, and I had to admit it was working. 

Just as I was admiring one of the paintings, there was a soft tap on the door before it opened, revealing a very cheerful man on the other side. He looked to be in his mid thirties. He had straight brown hair and cool gray eyes. There was a light amount of stubble on his chin, which suited him, and he was wearing a gray button down shirt and some slacks, accompanied by some shiny black shoes that squeaked a little as he walked into the room. 

“Hi there,” he said happily. “You must be Hope. My name’s Julio Chavez, I’ll be your therapist for, well, as long as we’re having these sessions.” 

I gave him a forced smile once he’d sat down at his chair across from me, notepad and pen in hand and at the ready. 

“Nice to meet you,” I said politely. 

He took a moment to pull out some papers with notes scribbled down on them before he looked up at me, smile still in place. “So, I had a talk with your parents earlier this week when we scheduled yours and your sister’s appointments and they gave me a little bit of information as to why they wanted me to see you today, but I want to know why you think you’re here.” 

I took a deep breath, willing myself to not be rude. “The divorce, I guess.” 

“How have you been doing with that?” he asked, jotting something down on his paper. 

“Fine.” 

He finished writing and looked up at me. “You gotta give me more than that,” he chuckled.

“There’s not much else I can say,” I shrugged. “They weren’t happy together, they got a divorce. Simple as that.” 

“Yes,” he said, dragging out the word, “but I want to know how you feel about it. How it’s affecting you. Your parents mentioned that you haven’t been sleeping very well, are you having nightmares? Possibly ones having to do with their separation?” 

I tensed at the mention of my nightmares, recalling some of the latest ones. Ones where they blamed me for what happened, where they told me everything was my fault and that they would have been fine if I hadn’t ruined their relationship. It was stupid and I knew I had nothing to do with their breakup, but it felt so real. I couldn’t help but think that maybe I did have a part to play. 

“Hope?” Dr. Chavez asked, bringing me back to the present. 

“Sorry,” I mumbled. “Uh, no. No, my sleep problems don’t have anything to do with their divorce.” 

“Uh-huh,” he said, scribbling down some more notes. “But you are having nightmares?” 

My eyes flashed around the room. I didn’t want to talk about my nightmares, or about the divorce, or anything at all. I wanted to leave. But I knew I had to give him something; he was just going to keep pressing the matter anyways, so I decided to give him half the truth. 

“Honestly, I don’t know. I can’t remember the things I dream. I just wake up a lot during the night and I have a hard time falling back to sleep.” 

He gave me a curious look and clicked his pen, pressing it up against his cheek. He leaned back in his chair and smirked at me. 

“You know, one of the things they teach you when you go through training to become a therapist is to be able to pick up on cues for when someone is lying,” he informed me. “There’s being vague, vocal uncertainty, indifference, overthinking, all of which you just did.” 

I looked out the window for a second, composing myself before looking back at him. I couldn’t believe he was calling me out like that. I stared at him, my face stoic and he sighed. 

“Look,” he said when it became clear I wasn’t going to say anything. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I know you don’t want to be here, it’s pretty obvious. But since you’re under eighteen and your parents are making you come see me, I suggest we make the best of it, work together to help you get through some of these problems you’re having, and then we can get you out of here faster. I want to help you, Hope. You seem like a smart girl, I’m sure you know I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t serious about your wellbeing.” 

He was so earnest when he spoke, every word coming out of his mouth sounding so sincere that it made me want to tell him everything. But I wouldn’t. I didn’t need his help, no matter how much he wanted to help me. I didn’t need this. 

“Well, I’m sure the paycheck they give you is motivation enough to be here,” I said sarcastically, earning a low laugh from him. 

“Deflection through sarcasm, great defense mechanism,” he said. “And yes, the paycheck is nice, but you and I both know that’s not why I’m really here.” 

I sighed and looked down at my hands, irritated by his cheerful attitude. 

“I know you just want to help, but really, I’m okay,” I said as convincingly as I could. “I just have to get some sleep and get my grades up, neither of which require a therapist. So can you just please justt tell my parents that I don’t need to be here so we can get out of here?” 

Dr. Chavez gave me a disappointed look and I sighed, knowing what he was going to say before the words even left his mouth. 

“That’s not how this works, Hope,” he stated. “You know I can’t do that. And I think there’s more to it than bad grades and lack of sleep, you’re just not willing to talk about your other issues yet.” 

“I don’t have any other issues,” I snapped, crossing my arms and leaning back in defiance. 

“Right,” he muttered. He paused for a few seconds, sighing in defeat when he realized I wasn’t going to budge on my position. “Well I suppose if you’re not willing to cooperate today then we can end our session a little early and try again next week. Hopefully you’ll be more open to talking then.” 

“Fine by me,” I muttered. 

He walked me back to the waiting area in silence, opening the door for me when we got there. I moved around him and walked over to where my sister was, ignoring the confused look I received from my dad as he walked over to us. 

Mia looked over at Dr. Chavez and then back at me, a worried frown on her face. 

“Is he mean?” she asked. 

I gave her a comforting smile and shook my head. “No, he’s very nice,” I responded honestly. “He has toys in there, too.” 

Her eyes sparkled. She looked over at the man in the doorway and then back at me. She gathered her drawings and stood up. My father reached for her hand as he walked up to us. 

“That was quick,” he said to me, a hint of frustration behind his words. 

I shrugged. “Didn’t have much to say.” 

“We’ll talk about this later,” he grumbled. I didn’t say anything, just brushed it off and walked back over to the chairs by the far wall. 

I stopped by the bookshelf and found a copy of “Looking for Alaska” by John Green. I took it out and sat in the corner, plugging in my earbuds to tune out the sound of a wailing toddler on the other side of the room. Alaska was asking Pudge about his love of biographies when my father and sister walked through the door, Mia holding a lollipop in her hand with another stuck in her mouth. 

I got up and put the book back on the shelf, slowly making my way over to them as my father and Dr. Chavez talked.

“Thank you again for seeing us on such short notice,” my dad said as they shook hands. “My ex-wife and I truly appreciate it.”

“My pleasure,” Dr. Chavez smiled. “I’ll see you all again next week?” 

“Not like I have much of a choice,” I grumbled. 

My father’s eyes widened, giving me a death glare. “Hope Andrea Mikaelson,” he said through clenched teeth, but Dr. Chavez chuckled and waved it off. 

“Oh it’s alright,” he said. “I suppose not, but keep in mind what I said. You all take care now. Bye Mia.” 

“Bye Dr. Chavez,” Mia grinned. “Thanks for the candy.” 

He winked at her and disappeared through the door. My dad pulled Mia along and walked over to the desk to make our next appointments. I trailed behind him, standing off to the side as he talked to the receptionist. When he was done, we left. 

The drive back to his house was filled with tense silence. He was angry with me, I could tell by his grip on the steering wheel. His hold would tighten and then loosen again, his knuckles turning white on occasion. But no matter how pissed he was at me, he wouldn’t yell at me in front of Mia. She always got really worked up when people argued in front of her, it’s part of the reason why every time he and my mom needed to talk to me about something serious they waited until she wasn’t around. 

I tried to ignore it, distracting myself by looking out the window at the passing cars. I counted twelve red, four black, and nine blue before we made it back to his house. My stomach felt queasy as we pulled into the driveway; I knew that as soon as Mia was off playing he’d get around to yelling at me and I really didn’t want to hear it. But either way, I had to get out. 

We walked to the door together. My dad unlocked it and Mia pushed past us, heading straight for the backyard. She was headed for her treehouse, which is where she spent most of her time when we were here. My dad had built it with the help of my two uncles, Elijah and Kol, and Mia could not get enough of it. I had helped her set it up with pillows, blankets, her favorite toys, and a little chest full of snacks. She could live up there if she wanted to. And she tried, but my father wouldn’t allow it. 

Once she was out of sight, he turned to me. He didn’t look happy. 

“So,” he began, motioning to the couch, “let’s discuss why your session ran short today.” 

I huffed and rolled my eyes. “Can we not do this right now? I’m tired, I just want to go do my homework and take a nap.” 

“No, you are going to sit here and tell me why your hour-long session was only half an hour.” 

I crossed my arms and sighed, sitting down on the couch in front of him. 

“I told you already, I just didn’t have much to talk about,” I mumbled. 

“What did you talk about?” he pressed. 

“I can’t tell you, that’s the whole point of therapy,” I said, my tone clearly annoyed. 

“Well you clearly don’t care about the rules, so why follow this one?” he countered in the same tone I used, making my anger bubble. I hated it when he mocked me. 

“Look, I just didn’t want to be there, okay? I didn’t feel like talking today, so what? I only went so Mia would go in. I don’t know why you made me another appointment, I don’t need therapy!” 

“Watch your tone,” he said, his voice raising in anger. He caught himself when he saw me flinch slightly and took a deep breath. Once he composed himself, he said in a more calm tone, “Yes, part of the reason why you went in today was so that Mia could see that it was okay, that she had no need to be afraid, but you’re supposed to actually talk to Dr. Chavez about your issues. You need help too, Hope. This isn’t just about your sister. You’re in therapy because you need it.” 

“No I don’t!” I yelled. “I can fix my problems on my own.” 

“If that were true your grades would be back to straight A’s by now,” he argued. “It’s been weeks and they haven’t improved. There’s no shame in admitting that you need help, why can’t you see that?” 

“Because I don’t,” I stated, getting up from the couch and walking over to the hall. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, getting up as well. 

“To go do my homework, since you’re so worried about my grades,” I said over my shoulder, walking as quickly as I could to my room. 

I slammed the door as soon as I was inside and locked it. I half expected him to follow me and try to yell at me some more, but he didn’t. Maybe he needed some time to cool off, too. Or maybe he just realized that he wasn’t going to change my mind on this. Either way, I didn’t really care, I was just glad that he didn’t come after me. I really didn’t have it in me to argue anymore today. 

I threw myself onto my bed and screamed into my pillow, hearing my phone ring a few seconds later. I looked over at it and saw Josie’s name and picture on the screen. I answered it and put the phone up to my ear. 

“Hello?” I answered as calmly as I could, but my voice betrayed me. And Josie being as observant as she is, she picked up on it immediately. 

“Hey babe,” she said. “What’s wrong? You sound mad.” 

I sighed and laid back on my bed once again, staring up at the ceiling. “Therapy sucked and my dad yelled at me when we got home.” 

“Why? What happened?” 

I told her everything. I told her what Dr. Chavez said, how I felt about going to therapy, about my argument with my dad because our session ended short. All of it. She listened patiently, only giving me low hums to let me know she was still listening. She waited until I was done to finally speak. 

“Why are you so opposed to therapy, again?” She didn’t sound judgmental, simply curious but the question still bothered me a little. 

“In fourth grade my grandmother passed away and I had to go see a therapist because my parents thought I was traumatized or something,” I said, rolling my eyes even though she couldn’t see me. “The woman was kind of rude and honestly she left me worse off than when I got there. It just wasn’t a pleasant experience and ever since then I’ve hated it.” 

“But it doesn’t sound like this guy you’re seeing now, Dr. Chavez was it?” I hummed in response and she continued. “He doesn’t sound too bad. Why not give him a chance?” 

“Because I don’t need to be there at all. I’m fine,” I said, raising my voice a little. “Why are you taking their side on this?” 

“I’m not,” she responded defensively. “I’m just saying, it sucks that you had a bad experience back then, but this is a different person and a different situation. And I’m sorry to tell you, but I have to disagree. I think you do need help; you don’t sleep, you have constant nightmares, you’re not doing well in school, you don’t eat as much as you used to. This could be good for you. He could help you.” 

“So you think I’m broken too, then?” I murmured. I was angry, but hearing her say all of that hurt, making my voice break. 

“What? No!” she said, her voice going up an octave. “I never said that.” 

“Well you just listed everything that’s wrong with me!” I yelled. I took a deep breath and turned over to look out the window, trying my best not to cry. 

“I didn’t say it to hurt you, I said it to prove my point.” She sighed and took a pause. “Of course I don’t think you’re broken, but you’re definitely not okay. You can’t keep trying to do this by yourself. I’m just worried about you, Hope. We all are and we just want what’s best for you. Why can’t you just give it a chance?” 

“Why can’t you all see that I’m not a problem to be fixed?” I shouted. I felt bad for raising my voice as soon as I finished speaking, but it was too late to take it back. 

“No one’s saying that you are,” she said quietly, obviously hurt by my tone. Josie was really sensitive when it came to arguing, sometimes I forgot that. But honestly, I was too pissed to care at the moment. 

“Well you all sure as hell act like it,” I retorted, my tone cutting and cold. “Thanks for the talk, but I gotta go.” 

“Hope wait-” she said, but I was done listening. I pulled the phone away from my ear and hung up before she could say anything else. 

I turned over in my bed, facing away from the window and buried my face in my pillow. I cried for hours, the guilt settling in after I had a minute to process what just happened. I hated arguing with Josie. And I hated myself for yelling at her. I knew she was just worried about me, but I really needed her to be on my side today. It hurt me that she was siding with my father and my doctor instead of me so I lashed out at her. I know I shouldn’t have, but I was already on edge from my previous argument with my father and her words had bothered me more than I wanted to admit. 

I was so exhausted from today that I didn’t even bother to change into my pajamas. I closed my eyes and fell asleep after a few more minutes of sobbing into my pillow. The nightmares didn’t come until later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol don't hate me, they'll be fine. I'm sorry this was so angsty, but it was necessary. The Christmas chapter is coming up soon I promise! Let me know what you thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it took me so long to update. When I tell y'all I have no concept of time, I really have no concept of time. I didn't even realize it had been more than a month since I'd posted a new chapter until I went and looked at the last time I'd updated. Anyways, I hope this makes up for it. Let me know what you think :)

The next morning I woke up with a killer headache. _Serves you right for yelling at your girlfriend_ , the annoying little voice in the back of my head told me. 

I groaned and rolled out of bed, forcing myself to get ready despite how much I didn’t want to. Josie was probably so mad at me after last night, as she should be. I was such a jerk. I knew none of it was her fault; she was only trying to help. I was just so frustrated from the day’s events that I took it out on her, even though I knew I shouldn’t have. Now all I could do was pray that she would give me a chance to apologize and try to make it up to her. 

When I got on the bus my eyes scanned the rows of seats for a sign of her, and I was a little disappointed when I found her. She was sitting next to Lizzie, who was shooting daggers at me with her eyes. I sighed and took a seat near the front by myself. I guess this was to be expected. 

When we got to the school I waited for her, but when I tried walking up to them Lizzie just pulled her away and walked faster. I would have tried to catch up to them, but the blonde made it pretty clear she wasn’t going to let me talk to her no matter how hard I tried. 

I idled by my locker until the first bell rang. When I got to class I could see that Josie was already in there, but she wasn’t in her usual seat next to mine. Instead she was sitting next to Claire, one of her friends from choir. Our eyes met briefly but she looked away as soon as her eyes caught mine, the pain that flashed in them clear despite how quickly she looked away. 

I sighed as I took a seat alone, my guilt only being magnified by the empty seat next to me. I hated this. I hated fighting with her and I hated myself for it because all of this was my fault and I knew it. I just didn’t know how I was going to fix it since it looked like Lizzie was set on being her personal bodyguard and wouldn’t let me anywhere near her. Not that it looked like Josie wanted to talk to me either. 

I took out my notebook and tried to focus on the words coming out of my teacher’s mouth, but I was too distracted by everything that I ended up drawing in the margins of my notes instead of listening to anything that he was saying. 

As soon as the bell rang to dismiss us, Josie bolted out of her seat and took off to her next class without so much as a glance in my direction. I took my time packing my own things since going after her would be pointless. She clearly didn’t want to talk to me and I didn’t want to push her until she was ready, so I decided that for the time being I would leave her be. 

By the time lunch rolled around I didn’t know what to do. We hung out with the same people and she obviously didn’t want me around so to save us both the time and the drama I decided that it would be better if I stayed away. I headed over to the library and pulled out my notes from earlier, hoping to get something done, but much like in class my head just wasn’t in it. 

I spent about twenty minutes trying to understand what the hell the derivative of f of x was before I decided to give up. I tried switching over to economics and when that failed I tried literature but I wasn’t getting any of it. 

I closed my notebook in frustration and shoved my things in my backpack. I headed over to the bathroom and threw some water on my face. I was drying it off with a paper towel when I heard a familiar voice coming from behind me. 

“Scram losers,” Lizzie said to a pair of girls standing by the sinks next to where I was. The girls scurried off and out the door, clearly afraid of the blonde. 

I balled up my paper towel and tossed it in the trash can. 

“Well that was mean,” I commented, fixing my hair in the mirror in an attempt to make it seem like I was unaffected by her presence. In reality, the guilt that I felt for hurting Josie was brought back by the angry look in her sister’s eyes. 

“You wanna talk about mean?” she asked, taking a step towards me. “Okay, let’s talk about how mean you were to my sister last night. Do you have any idea how much you hurt her? How long she cried for?” 

The thought of Josie crying because of me hurt more than I can put into words. I stepped away from the mirror and turned to look at her with a sigh. 

“I didn’t mean to -”

“To what?” she interrupted. “Yell at her? Put your problems on her? Give her shit when all she wanted to do was help you?” 

I didn’t know what to say to that. I wanted to yell at her, to tell her that this was none of her business, that she had no right to intervene, but deep down I knew she was right. I did do that. I did put my problems on her, and not just last night. I had been putting my problems on her for months now. Ever since all of this started, with my parents and with my sister she had been right there dealing with it with me. And last night I had been a complete ass and yelled at her when all she wanted to do was help. 

“What the hell’s the matter with you lately?” Lizzie asked after I failed to speak, too lost in my own thoughts to even try to respond. “You’ve been so off. I mean, I know this whole thing with your family has been hard on you -”

“Do you?” I cut her off, mentally slapping myself as I said the words. 

Of course she knew. She’d been through this before with her own parents. I was just so used to being on the defensive that I didn’t bother to think before I spoke. That was definitely something I was going to have to work on. 

“Yes. I do,” she said pointedly. “My parents are divorced, too, remember?” 

“Yeah, I know,” I said quietly, glancing down at my shoes. 

Her eyes softened a little and she sighed. “Look,” she said, “I get it. You’re pissed off and you’re hurt and you feel like the universe is out to get you and you feel like nobody understands, but that’s not true. Okay? I get it. I understand.” 

She half smiled for a second and I nodded. I turned around and walked over to the wall on the opposite end of the small bathroom, feeling like I needed the support all of a sudden. 

“I just -” I began “- I wish everyone would stop trying to _fix_ me.” 

“There’s a difference between trying to fix you and trying to help you,” she stated. 

“What’s the difference?” 

She sighed. “When someone is trying to fix you it means they think there’s something to be fixed in the first place; that there’s something broken inside of you. But when someone is trying to help you, they don’t think you’re broken, they can just see that you’re struggling and they want you to get better.” She paused for a second and took a step towards me, her gaze holding mine so I could tell she was serious. “Josie doesn’t think you’re broken, Hope. No one does. _You’re_ the only one who thinks that.” 

As I thought about her words I realized that she was completely right; and I felt even worse. I had been projecting my feelings about myself onto everyone else. My mom didn’t look at Mia and I like we were broken, she looked at us like any concerned mother would look at her children if they were struggling; with worry and compassion. And Josie didn’t think I was broken either, I just thought she did because that’s how I saw myself: a scared, broken little girl who couldn’t handle her parents splitting up, who couldn’t deal with her issues on her own and who refused to ask for help because of her pride. Because that’s what this all came down to. Pride. 

“God, I really messed up this time, didn’t I?” I buried my face in my hands and sighed as I finally snapped out of my thoughts. When I looked back up at Lizzie she was nodding. 

“Yeah, I’d say so,” she responded, her voice laced with sarcasm. 

I threw my hands up in frustration and let them fall, hitting my legs with a loud smack. “So, what do I do now?” 

“Well first of all you can get off that dirty ass wall. It looks like you could contract HPV from it,” she shuddered, pulling me away from the bathroom wall. I chuckled slightly at her attempt to lighten the mood. 

“And then,” she continued, her tone getting a little more serious, “you can go and get yourself some help.” 

I frowned at her. “She told you about therapy…” 

“Not any specifics, no,” she said quickly. “But she did tell me that you didn’t want to go and that you’re refusing to even try it.” 

“I just don’t see the point in it,” I said for what felt like the millionth time. 

“Believe me, I get it. Reliving past traumas, digging up repressed memories, talking about personal issues, and doing all of that with a stranger? Doesn’t sound like fun.” 

“I hope there’s a point to all of this because you’re not really selling me on this whole therapy thing at the moment,” I said, and she laughed. 

“My point is,” she stated, “that I know it doesn’t necessarily seem very appealing at first, but it’s worth it in the end. Digging into your past may not sound like much fun, but it’s helpful to understand why you do certain things the way you do them or why you are the way you are. And talking to a stranger about your problems is a hell of a lot easier than talking to someone you’ve known your whole life because then at least you know they’re not judging you. And even if they are, they don’t know you, they only know what you tell them.” 

I thought about what she said and, if I’m being honest, when she put it that way it didn’t sound too bad. I mean, I still didn’t want to go to therapy and tell Dr. Chavez my whole life story, but the idea of talking to him about my parents’ divorce didn’t sound too horrible now. It would be kind of nice to be able to rant to someone who doesn’t know them personally, or me; to have an unbiased opinion. 

When I didn’t say anything, Lizzie continued. 

“Believe it or not, I was just as opposed to it as you are when I first had to start going.”

“Really?” I asked. I couldn’t picture it. 

Lizzie loved going to therapy now. She always talked about how hot her doctor was and how great her sessions were. I couldn’t imagine her not wanting to go. 

“Oh yeah,” she chuckled, “I threw the biggest tantrum when my mom dragged me to my first appointment. Granted I was a lot younger, but still, I didn’t want to be there and I put up a fight for a good while.” 

I looked at her, my eyes filled with curiosity. “So what changed your mind?” 

She gave me a sympathetic smile and said, “I saw how my unwillingness to try to get better was hurting the people that I loved. My mom was constantly stressed out, trying to figure out how to help me with my… episodes. My dad would walk on eggshells around me because any little thing would set me off. And my poor sister was left to deal with me and my breakdowns in the middle of the night.” 

I stayed quiet as I thought about how I was hurting my loved ones. My mom is a lot more careful around me, more than she’s ever been. We used to be so open with one another about everything, but now she keeps things from me like she’s afraid that if she says too much or if she says the wrong thing then I’ll snap. My dad is a lot better at hiding his concern behind his macho facade, but I saw right through it. He was always worried, always trying to make things easier for us in any way he could because he felt guilty for our problems. My poor little sister, on top of having to deal with her pre-existing issues, she also had to put up with me yelling at her every now and then when I got too frustrated. And then there was Josie. My kind-hearted, sweet, gentle girlfriend who I loved so much, yet was so awful to because I am an idiot. She didn’t deserve this. 

“Look, I’m not saying that you should go in for your next session and tell your shrink your deepest, darkest secrets or anything,” she said, pulling me back to reality, “all I’m trying to say is that I think it will really benefit you if you give it a try. You can start off small and then work your way up to bigger issues. But if you’re going to do it, you have to do it for yourself. It’s not going to do you any good if you’re not serious about wanting to get better.” 

“Okay, that sounds do-able,” I nodded. “But what about Josie? What am I supposed to do about her?” 

“Get your act together first and then you can talk to my sister,” she said, her eyes narrowing to make herself seem scarier, but the smile that crept across her lips afterwards ruined the effect. 

I smiled, too. “Fair enough.” 

Just then the bell rang, signaling that lunch was over and it was time for fifth period. 

“Come on,” she said, nodding her head in the direction of the hallway, “I’ll walk you to class. I think we’ve tortured you enough for one day.” 

I followed her out the door and we headed up the stairs together. 

“I deserve it,” I muttered. 

I expected her to make some mean reamark or to agree that I deserved that and much worse for hurting her sister, but her answer took me completely by surprise. 

“As much as I hate that you hurt my sister, I am sorry that we’ve been treating you like crap all day,” she said as we stopped in front of the door to my class. 

“Wow,” I blurted out without thinking. “I, umm… t-thanks?” 

“Don’t get too worked up over it, Mikaelson,” she said with an eye roll. “Oh, and if you tell anyone about any of this, I will make sure that you have _plenty_ to talk about in therapy.” 

“Yup, got it,” I said, trying my best to conceal the smile that was threatening to spread across my face despite having just been threatened. It was just nice to have the ice-queen back.

Lizzie turned around and left without another word. I smiled and shook my head as I headed into my next class.

My hands shook nervously as I walked up the three steps to the door of the relatively large house. It had been a week since Josie and I had last spoken, since the night of the fight, so needless to say I was a little scared of how she would react to me being here. I rang the bell and waited for a few seconds until the door swung open. 

Josie stood there looking as beautiful as ever; she was in an oversized black band-t with jean shorts and her red low tops, her hair cascading down her shoulders in perfect little waves. She looked shocked to see me, which is honestly what I had expected. The anger and hurt in her eyes I had also expected, but it didn’t make it any easier to see. 

“Hope,” she said. She stood in the doorway and made no move to invite me in. 

“Hey,” I said lamely. I didn’t know where to start, I'd never done this before. 

She crossed her arms. “What are you doing here?” she asked flatly. The indifference in her voice hurt me even though I knew it was just for show, and that I deserved it. 

“I umm -” I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and fiddled with my fingers “- I came to apologize.” 

She raised an eyebrow at me and I sighed. 

“I was a jerk that night and I am so, _so_ incredibly sorry for everything that I said. I should have never yelled at you - for any of it; you were just trying to help and I was mean and just an ass about everything because I was tired and angry. And I know that’s no excuse, but it’s why I did it and I just thought you should know… I never wanted to hurt you.” 

She stood there with her arms still folded over her chest and her eyes still as hard as they were when she first saw me. This was going to be harder than I thought. 

“So why did it take you so long to tell me all of this?” 

“Well you’ve kind of been avoiding me,” I mumbled. She looked like she was about to say something but I quickly added, “not that I blame you. That’s also not the reason why… I - look I’m sorry, I’m not really good at this. I just - it took me this long because I wanted to make sure that I was in a better place when I did so I could guarantee you that it wouldn’t happen again.” 

“So, does that mean you’re doing better now?” she asked slowly. Her walls fell slightly and she sounded hopeful, which made my heart swell. She still cared. Despite how horrible I was to her and how long it’d taken me to come back to her, she still cared. 

“Yeah,” I said quietly. I flashed her a half smile and played with my rings. “I umm… I went back to therapy. And I actually talked to Dr. Chavez. You’d be amazed at how many issues you can uncover, and resolve, by talking to a shrink.” 

She let out a low chuckle and shook her head at me; I could tell she was holding back an ‘I told you so’ and I was glad when she didn’t say the four annoying little words. I relaxed slightly at seeing her smile, feeling like some weight had been lifted from my shoulders. 

“I talked to him about my nightmares and he gave me a list of things to do to help me sleep. I was actually able to sleep last night without any bad dreams.”

Her eyes softened and she gave me a little smile. “I’m really happy to hear that,” she said, unfolding her arms and playing with the bracelet on her wrist. And then with a sigh and in a much lower voice she added, “and umm… I’m sorry, too.” 

My eyebrows knitted together and I cocked my head slightly to the side. “Wait, why? You have nothing to be sorry for.” 

“Yes I do. I shouldn’t have pushed you so much that night. I knew you were upset, I should have just listened but instead I tried to get you to change your mind and-”

“Jo, you were just trying to help.” I took a step closer to her, slowly to measure her reaction but she didn’t seem to mind. “It wasn’t your fault.” 

“Still,” she whispered. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. I took another step towards her, leaving only a few inches between us. She looked up at me through her eyelashes and smiled sadly. 

“So then where does this leave us?” I asked. 

She looked me in the eyes and opened her mouth, but no words came out. She looked deep in thought for a long time before she finally whispered, “I don’t know.” 

My chest tightened and my eyes stung, but I simply nodded. “Do you forgive me, at least?” 

She nodded. “Yeah, I forgive you.” 

“Okay,” I sighed. After a few more minutes of standing there in awkward silence I said, “I guess I should get going then.”

I started to turn and walk away, but she grabbed onto my arm and said, “wait.” 

I looked back at her, shocked by what was happening. She let go of my hand and went back to messing with the plastic band on her wrist. 

“Do you want to, maybe, stay for dinner?” she asked nervously. 

I let out a confused and shocked laugh. She didn’t seem surprised by my reaction, just more frustrated than anything. 

“Look,” she said, “I really don’t know where we stand right now in terms of our relationship, but I do know that I want us to try to get back to normal. It’s just, we’ve never fought like this, or for this long, before and I don’t know how to move forward, but I want to; especially with Christmas coming up next week. I just don’t want things to be tense or awkward or anything…” 

“Yeah, me too,” I said quietly. 

“So, what do you say?” she asked, motioning towards the house. “Dinner?” 

“Sure,” I smiled.

I took her hand, mostly out of habit, and smiled even wider when I felt her lace her fingers with mine. She smiled too, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink as we walked inside the house and were greeted by her mom. 

“Oh, hi Hope,” Mrs. Forbes smiled, shocked by my presence, if her wide eyes were any indication. She looked down at our joined hands and then back up to meet my eyes. “I wasn’t expecting you. Are you joining us for dinner?” 

“If that’s okay with you,” I half-asked.

“Of course it is,” she said with a kind smile, but still looked at Josie for confirmation. 

“We’ll be up in my room,” Josie announced when it got quiet. 

“Okay,” Mrs. Forbes smiled, heading into the kitchen. “I’ll have Lizzie come get you guys when the food is done.” 

Josie dragged me up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. She closed the door behind us and let go of my hand to go sit down on her bed. She patted the space beside her and I sat down facing Lizzie’s bed instead of her. It was still a little awkward, but at least she wasn’t shooting daggers at me with her eyes anymore. 

“So how are things with your family?” she asked nervously, tugging at a loose thread on her comforter. 

“Better,” I said honestly. “Therapy seems to be working for Mia. She’s developed some coping mechanisms for when she’s upset so she doesn’t lash out as much; she still has her slip ups but my parents have both gotten pretty good at getting her back on track in a relatively short amount of time. I still have to work on that myself, but I’ll get there eventually, I hope.” 

“You will,” she smiled. “I’m glad that Mia’s doing better, though.” 

“Me too.” 

We stayed quiet for a little while. Josie seemed lost in thought, her eyebrows drawn in like something was bothering her. 

“You okay?” I asked, placing a hand on top of hers to get her attention. 

“Yeah, no I’m fine, it’s just,” she paused for a second and glanced down at our hands before she looked back up at me, “I feel really bad that you’ve had to spend lunch by yourself for the past week.” 

I laughed quietly and shook my head. “It’s fine, Jo. I deserved it.” 

“No, it’s not,” she sighed, her frustration clear in the way she ran her free hand through her hair. “They’re your friends too, I had no right to take them away from you.” 

“You didn’t take them away,” I argued. “I chose to make things easier for everyone and stayed away so you wouldn’t be uncomfortable. And so they wouldn’t feel the need to pick a side or something.” 

She smiled sheepishly and avoided my eyes. I tugged gently on her hand and made her look up at me. 

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. 

“Apology accepted,” I murmured back, knowing she wasn’t going to let it go otherwise. “Now, can we please stop apologizing and just, I don’t know, talk about what I missed over the past week? I mean, I talked to MG and Raf and Kaleb, but what stupid things did they do at lunch?” 

Josie laughed as she thought about it and then proceeded to go on a long rant about how MG wouldn’t shut up about his upcoming dance competition and how Kaleb was still pining after Alyssa Chang. I listened and laughed while she spoke and we stayed like this until we were called down for dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot express how sorry I am for lagging so much on this story, especially since it is the last chapter. I had originally planned to post this on Christmas but I was in Mexico visiting family and it got hectic and my internet connection was sucky. But it's here! At long last, this fic is completed. I hope you like it :)

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a sound could be heard, which was really unusual and honestly a little unsettling for this particular time of year. Christmas Eve was always one of the best nights for our family. There was always music filling the living room, lights strung up all around the house, presents hidden everywhere my parents thought we wouldn’t look -- which of course we did. But what I loved most was that no matter how bad things got, how much my parents were arguing, they would always set their differences aside and we would all come together as a family and decorate the tree. 

It was one of our many family traditions. We’d decorate the tree on December first, but the star wouldn’t go up until Christmas Eve. I’d go outside and help dad with any last minute things that needed to be fixed while Mia helped mom with baking and decorating the cookies. My mom and I would watch as my sister and my father argued about what movie we were going to watch even though Mia always won and we ended up watching some cheesy Disney movie. It was the little things, things you didn’t really appreciate until they were gone. 

This morning the house felt empty, though there were two other people besides myself there. I stumbled into the kitchen and found my mom sitting at the table, coffee mug in one hand and a pen in the other. She bit the end of it while she looked down at a stack of papers in front of her, papers I assumed were bills or something having to do with the divorce judging by the deep scowl on her face. 

When she heard me come into the room she looked up at me and instantly plastered a smile on her face. 

“Hey sweetie.” She placed a manila envelope over the papers as I got closer so I couldn’t see what they were. 

“Bills?” I asked, not being able to help myself. My curiosity just got the best of me sometimes. 

My mom sighed and got up from her chair. She kissed the top of my head as she headed straight for the coffee maker. 

“Don’t worry about it,” she said, pouring me a cup after she refilled her own. She stirred some cream and sugar into both of them and then set my mug in front of me. “The only thing you have to worry about is helping me bake some cookies and making dinner for your friends.” 

“But Mia’s usually the one to help you with all of that,” I said, frowning as I took a sip of my drink, enjoying the feeling of the warm liquid sliding down my throat. It was a nice contrast in comparison to the cold air drifting through the house. Call me crazy but ever since my dad left, the house felt a lot colder. 

“Yeah, well, something tells me she’s not going to want to do it this year.” Her eyes stayed fixed on the envelope on top of the stacks of papers, deep in thought. 

Her concentration was broken when we heard little footsteps making their way down the stairs. Mia turned the corner, still a little sleepy, with her blanket dragging behind her and her left hand rubbing at her eye. 

“Good morning,” my mom smiled. “How’d you sleep?” 

“Fine,” Mia shrugged, hopping up and onto her chair. She made grabby hands at my mug, but I pulled it away from her with a shake of my head. She huffed and tucked her hands under her blanket, a small pout on her lips. 

I chuckled. “You excited, Tiny? Santa’s coming tonight.” 

“Yeah, I don’t think he’ll be stopping by our house this year,” she muttered. 

My mom and I both frowned at her. “Why not?” I asked. 

She took the pen my mom had left on the edge of the table and started drawing on the back of an old envelope. “Because I was really bad this year. I yelled a lot and I was angry and mean to everyone.” 

“Oh, sweetie,” my mom sighed, putting a hand on her leg. “I think Santa will understand that you were going through a hard time. And besides, you apologized and you’ve been doing a lot better recently.” 

Mia shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.” She stopped her doodling for a second and then asked, “Is daddy coming over today?” 

My mom and I looked at one another and then back at my sister. 

“No, sweetheart, we talked about this, remember? You’re spending Christmas with me and then on New Year’s you’re going to be with your daddy.” 

“I know, I just thought maybe you guys made up and changed your minds and he was going to come over today.” 

Mom sighed and gave her an apologetic smile. “No, I’m sorry.” 

“But,” I intervened, “Aunt Freya and Aunt Keelin and little cousin Nik and Aunt Rebekah and everyone else is coming later tonight.” 

“That’s right,” mom smiled. It also put a small smile on Mia’s face. 

“Is Uncle Kol coming?” she asked. 

“Yes,” I laughed. “And Aunty Davina, too.” That’s really who she was wondering about.

She nodded. “Okay.” 

After we managed to cheer her up a bit we had breakfast together and cleaned up around the house. We set up the rest of the Christmas decorations and we all baked the cookies together. It took a lot of convincing to get Mia to help, but once my mom told her that she could lick the frosting off the spoon, she was onboard. 

Baking cookies turned into a bit of a flour fight after Mia splashed me in the face. That was a pain to clean up afterward, but for a moment there when we were all covered in flour and Mia was having a sneezing fit and my mom was laughing like I hadn’t seen in ages I think we all forgot about what was going on. At least that was the case for me. I forgot about the divorce and my panic attacks. I forgot about the fight that I’d had with Josie, something that we were still dealing with, though it wasn’t such a prominent issue now. I forgot about everything bad that was happening in my life and I was just present in the moment, having fun with my mom and my sister. 

Once the kitchen was clean again and we were all showered and dressed, we decided it was time to put the star on the tree. And that’s when I got a little sentimental. Every year, right before the clock struck midnight, my dad would lift me up so I could place the star at the top -- that was, until I got too old, then it was Mia’s turn. Regardless of who it was that was placing the star on top, it was one of our traditions and it hurt not to have him here. 

Mia got the star out of the box where the rest of the leftover decorations were and looked over at my mother and I who were waiting patiently for her by the couch. 

“Here,” I smiled, holding my hands out for her, “I’ll lift you so you can put it up.” 

I put her on my shoulder and watched as she struggled to get the star on. Once she was done I set her down and we all stepped back to admire the tree. My mom wrapped her arms around both of us and said, “I know this has been really hard for the two of you, but I want to thank you for being patient with both your father and I recently.” 

Mia snuggled into her side. “I love you, mommy.” 

“I love you too, sweetheart.” She kissed both our heads and smiled, trying to hold back tears. “I love both of you. So much.” 

We stood under the glow of the tree lights for a moment, holding onto one another as some Christmas carols flowed through the house, and for the first time in months, it truly felt like home. 

Our moment was broken up by the sound of the doorbell ringing. I opened the door and was rushed by Nik, Harley and Mason -- Aunt Rebekah’s and Uncle Marcel’s two sons. The rest of my aunts and uncles trailed in one after another until the living room was filled with laughter. 

The rest of the night was spent with us sitting by the fire, listening to stories. Kol and Davina told us about their trip to New Zealand, Rebekah and Marcel boasted about their boys’ accomplishments in school, Freya and Keelin whined about how little Nik was getting so big and how they were thinking about having another baby. Even Mia talked quite a bit, telling them about soccer and about how her team had voted her team captain for the following season. Everyone cheered at the news, giving her high fives and pats on the back. 

We opened presents at midnight and just about everyone fell asleep right after but for some reason I couldn’t. I wandered out to the backyard where my dad and I used to paint together and admired the garden. The English Primroses were beautiful this time of year, as well as the violas. The contrast in colors complemented one another really well. I recalled the first time I painted those flowers. I had been begging my dad to teach me how to paint for weeks when he finally brought me out to the garden and surprised me with my very own little easel, canvas and set of paintbrushes. We stayed out here all afternoon and painted until my mom had to call us in for dinner. That was one of my favorite memories of him. Now it left a bittersweet feeling in the pit of my stomach. 

“Hey,” a familiar voice called from behind me. It was my Aunt Freya. “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing.” 

I smiled and scooted over on the bench to make room for her. She wrapped a blanket around my shoulders as she sat down.

“I was just thinking,” I muttered, looking back out at the flowers. 

“About your dad?” she asked. 

I smiled sadly and pulled the blanket tighter around myself, as if that would protect me from the wave of sadness that crashed over me and threatened to pull me under. 

“Yeah,” I breathed. 

“I remember you guys were always out here painting together,” she smiled. “Ever since you were little, he was always so proud of how talented you were at drawing. And when you told him you wanted to learn how to paint he immediately called me and had me find you an easel and a bunch of little canvases and paint brushes and your own paint set.” 

I grinned from ear to ear as I recalled all the afternoons we spent out here. 

“Remember when I painted my first portrait?” I asked. Freya laughed and nodded. “I thought he looked crazy, facetiming everyone to show them my work.” 

“I thought it was adorable,” she giggled. “He was so proud of you. And he still is.” She made me look at her. “I want you to remember, no matter what happens between your parents, Klaus loves you and your sister with all his heart.” 

I narrowed my eyes at her playfully. “Did he tell you to tell me that?” 

“No,” she chuckled. “No, I just wanted to give you a friendly reminder. I went over to his house last week and he seemed worried that you and your sister might think that maybe he doesn’t love you as much anymore or something crazy like that.” 

“No,” I said. “I would never think that. I know that what happens between my parents is between them and that it has nothing to do with me or my sister.” 

“Good.” She stood up from the bench and nodded towards the door. “Now let’s go back inside before my toes freeze and fall off.” 

I laughed and followed her inside, but not before I took one last look at the garden. 

Everyone left after breakfast. The kids were getting fussy and they all had other family to visit, which included my dad. The thought that they would get to see him and I wouldn’t made me a little sad, but it also reminded me of something. 

“Hey, Aunt Freya?” I called out while everyone was saying goodbye. “Can you do me a favor?” 

“Sure, sweetie. What do you need?” 

I pulled her into my dad’s old study and pulled out a canvas wrapped in tie patterned wrapping paper -- inside joke, long story. Aunt Freya looked at it and smiled. 

“I will deliver it,” she said and took it out of my hands. 

“Thank you.” 

Once everyone was gone, Mia rushed over to the Christmas tree and pulled out two boxes, one with her name and one with mine. 

“They’re from Santa,” she said cheerfully as she handed me my present. 

“See, I told you he would come,” my mom smiled. “Open it.”

Mia ripped through the wrapping paper in seconds and pulled out a barbie. 

“Look mommy, she looks just like me!” she exclaimed, showing us the doll. “She has a soccer ball and a uniform and everything!” 

“Do you like it?” I asked. 

“I love it,” she beamed. “What did you get, Hope?” 

“Uhh, I don’t know, let’s see…” I tore through the paper and opened the little black box to find a heart shaped locket inside, the kind that you put pictures inside of. I was about to open it when my mom placed a hand on mine and stopped me. 

“Maybe you should open it later,” she suggested. 

I didn’t understand why it mattered if I opened it now or later, but either way I nodded and put the necklace back in the box. 

“Santa didn’t bring you anything, mommy?” Mia asked. 

My mom smiled sadly at her. “No, my love. He was really busy this year, he didn’t have time.” 

“Oh,” Mia said. “Well, you can borrow my barbie if you want. I can go get my other ones and we can play.” 

“That’d be great sweetie,” my mom smiled. “But first, why don’t you guys help me clean up and then you can go get dressed. We need to have everything ready for when Hope’s friends get here.” 

“Okay,” Mia nodded. She put her barbie back under the tree and skipped around the living room, organizing the throw pillows and folding the small blankets. 

We finished setting up early so we decided to watch some movies before everyone got here. We managed to make it through Frozen, Frozen two and half of Maleficent when the doorbell finally rang. 

“I’ll get it,” I said as I raced for the door. 

When I opened it I was greeted by the warming and familiar sight of my girlfriend’s bright smile. 

“Merry Christmas!” she said as she wrapped her arms around me.

“Merry Christmas,” I smiled. 

Lizzie came in behind her and behind the two of them, off in the distance, I could see Landon, Rafael, Kaleb and I’m assuming MG -- I say assuming because he was wearing a full Santa suit -- carrying a very large red sack. 

“Oh my god, what is happening?” I asked. 

Neither of them answered my question, Josie simply grabbed onto my arm and leaned her head on my shoulder. 

“Josie!” Mia squealed as she jumped into her arms. 

“Mia!” Josie squealed back as she let go of my arm and caught my little sister. “Merry Christmas.” 

“Merry Christmas,” Mia smiled. 

“Ho, ho, ho!” MG shouted as they came closer to the doorway. 

“Hey, I think Santa dropped this off at the wrong house,” Rafael called out. 

My mom was at the doorway now, her eyes just about as wide as mine. 

“What’s going on here?” she asked. 

“There seems to have been a little mix up with the toy delivery system this year,” Landon said. 

“Yeah, Santa accidentally dropped off some presents addressed to you guys at our houses,” Kaleb added. “So we thought we’d deliver them to their rightful owners.” 

“Oh my gosh!” Mia yelled. “Mommy, look! There’s so many presents!” 

“I can see that, sweetie.” My mom was speechless, her mouth still open wide. “Why don’t we go to the living room and open them?” 

“Okay!” 

Mia sprinted over to the living room while everyone else followed her. I pulled Josie back and waited until everyone was out of hearing range before I said, “Umm… what’s going on?” 

“Well,” she began, “we were all worried that with how expensive divorces are that your mom wouldn’t have enough money to buy presents this year, so we all found some old toys that we didn’t need anymore and we wrapped them up and brought them for all of you. Well, mostly for Mia, but there’s a couple of things in there for you and your mom.” 

“Josie,” I sighed. “You guys really didn’t have to.” 

“Oh come on,” she said, “your mom hosts Christmas dinner for us every year, she lets us crash here whenever we need, or want to, and she treats us all like family. This is nothing.” 

My eyes filled with tears, but I quickly blinked them away. She didn’t wait for a response out of me. Instead she just pulled my arm and led me to the living room. 

“Come on, let’s go open presents.”

We watched as my sister went through about ten different boxes. They all contained barbies and toy cars and soccer stuff. The closer I paid attention, the more I realized that some of those things didn’t look like hand-me-downs. 

“Babe?” I said softly near Josie’s ear. 

“Hm?” she hummed, still smiling as Mia opened the next one. 

“I thought you said these were old toys that you guys didn’t want anymore.” 

Her brows furrowed and she placed her hand under her chin. “Did I? I think what I meant to say was, we got some old ones, but also went out and bought some new toys.” 

I lightly smacked her arm while she just laughed. She leaned into my chest and wrapped my arms around her waist. And of course, I couldn’t stay mad at her. 

“Hey, Hope,” Mia said. “This one’s for you… And this one’s for mom.” 

She handed each of us our respective presents and sat on her heels, waiting for us to open them. My mom opened the box and pulled out a brand new pair of boots and the prettiest knitted red sweater I’d ever seen. 

“That’s so cute mommy!” Mia beamed. 

My mom’s mouth hung open for a while before she let out a single laugh and said, “Yeah, yeah it is, baby. Oh my god.” 

“Do you like it?” Lizzie asked, a hopeful smile on her lips that told me she’d been the one to pick it out.

“Um-oh, y-es, oh my god, I love it,” she stuttered out. 

“I think there’s something else at the bottom there,” Landon commented, pointing to the corner of the box.

Mom reached in and pulled out a little red box. She opened it and pulled out a silver charm bracelet with two little girls hanging from it and a slightly bigger one in the middle of the two. Her smile softened as she looked around at all of my friends. Her eyes conveyed the message she was unable to express in words. 

“It’s perfect,” she finally sighed. 

Everyone’s attention shifted to me seeing as to how I hadn’t opened my gift yet. I looked down at the present in my lap and started to open it before Josie stopped me, much like my mom had earlier. 

“That one’s actually from me,” she smiled sheepishly. “Do you think you could, maybe open it later?” 

Ohhh’s and other obnoxious, teasing noises came from all around the room. I laughed and rolled my eyes at them, quieting down their immature behavior with the wave of my hand. 

“I will save it for later,” I told Josie. She smiled and pressed a kiss to my cheek as a ‘thank you’. 

After all the wrapping paper was picked up and the table had been set with the help of MG, Rafael and Landon, we all sat down and waited for my mom to sit down so we could begin our annual Christmas feast. 

“Before we get started, I actually had something I wanted to say.” My mom sat at the head of the table, fiddling with the napkin in her lap as she looked out at all of us. Everyone quieted down and provided her with all of their undivided attention so she could begin speaking. “As I’m sure all of you know, times have been a little hard around here. There’s been some changes around our house and our living conditions and it hasn’t been easy in the slightest. But despite how challenging it’s been for us you have all made it a hundred times more bearable. I cannot tell you how happy I am that Hope’s found a group of friends as amazing and generous as all of you. Thank you for everything you’ve done to help us. I’ll never forget it.” She lifted her glass and waited for all of us to do the same. “Cheers.” 

“Cheers,” we all said as we clinked glasses. 

And with that, the feast began. During dinner we made casual conversation. MG turned on the radio and put on some holiday music, which contributed to the happy, Christmassy feel that settled over the room. We laughed and joked and had one of the best Christmas dinners we’d ever had. 

After clearing the table and washing the dishes, and after Mia had fallen asleep, my friends and I gathered around the fireplace with some hot cocoa and cookies and quietly talked amongst ourselves into the late hours of the night. 

“Not that I’m one to get all touchy feely,” I said, getting a couple of feigned gasps from the guys, “but, I just wanted to say thank you. You guys are the coolest, most considerate people I’ve ever met and I’m really lucky to be able to call you all my friends.” 

Landon leaned in a little closer to Rafael and loudly whispered, “She just called us cool. Did you hear her? She said we’re cool!” 

I let out a groan while everyone else laughed at my annoyed expression. 

“God, you’re never gonna let me forget I said that, are you?” 

“Nope,” Landon responded, settling back on the couch as he brought his mug to his lips. 

I rolled my eyes and settled back into Josie’s arms. 

“In all seriousness though,” Kaleb said after settling down, “it was our pleasure. We know that if the situation were reversed, you would have done the same for any one of us.” 

“Yeah, not to mention that we owe your mom a lot,” Rafael added. “She’s been putting up with us every Christmas since we’ve known you… and on birthdays, and when we have group projects, and whenever we just decide to hang out at your place.” They all laughed and nodded in agreement. “This was literally the least we could do to try and start paying her back for all she’s done for us.” 

“Let’s not forget that we all also just love Mia,” Lizzie stated. There was another round of agreement. 

I smiled and told myself that the warmth that suddenly spread over my cheeks was due to the fire burning a few feet away from me and not their kind words. I opened my mouth to say something, but Lizzie beat me to it. 

“Hey, don’t you have a Christmas present that you still need to open?”

I sat up and looked over at the Christmas tree where my two presents still sat, unopened. One from my mom and one from Josie.

“Wanna go upstairs and open it?” Josie asked nervously. 

“Ooohhh,” everyone said teasingly. 

“Sure,” I responded, ignoring them. 

I took Josie’s hand and followed her to the tree to retrieve both gifts before heading upstairs. Once we were safely in my room and away from prying eyes and ears, I set down the presents on my bed and thought about which one to open first. 

“Open the one your mom got you first,” Josie said, as if reading my mind. 

I nodded and took the necklace out of the box. I opened the small heart and smiled sadly at what I found inside. On the left side was a picture we had taken last year for my parent’s wedding anniversary -- it was the last picture we’d taken as a family. On the right side was a blank paper with three words written in my father’s handwriting: always and forever. 

Josie picked up the box and examined it closer. She pulled out the bottom where the necklace had been and produced a small, folded up paper with my name on it. My hand trembled slightly as I took it from her. 

_Hope,_ it read, _though this might not have been the merriest of Christmases, we wanted to give you something to remind you that, while we might not be together anymore, we will always cherish the good times we shared as a family. This photo, as you may recall, was taken on our tenth wedding anniversary. And you obviously don’t know this, but this was also one of the last days where things were good between us. We wanted you to have it, so that when things seem difficult or when things get ugly between your mother and I you can hold on to the good times, the happier times, the simpler times, and also so you can remind your sister of better days. We’re sorry for how things worked out, but we hope that in the future we’ll be able to be together again as friends. Here’s to hoping for better days. Merry Christmas. We love you, always and forever. Mom and dad._

Despite my best efforts, a few tears managed to escape from my eyes. I quickly wiped them away and smiled in hopes that I could convince Josie I was fine and erase the worried frown that had formed on her usually smiling lips. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” she asked quietly. 

I shook my head. “Maybe later. Right now I just really want to see what you got me.” 

Her frown dissolved and was quickly replaced by a shy smile as I picked up the box. My heart stuttered as I opened it and found a silver ring with a small diamond on top and our date engraved on the inside. 

“Jo, what--” I started to ask, but before I could get another word in, she started rambling. 

“So with everything going on recently I know you might be a little hesitant to accept my gift, and Lizzie tried to talk me out of it too, something about it being a bad time, but I actually think it’s the perfect time so just, hear me out, okay?” I waited quietly for her to continue. She drew in a long and shaky breath before she did. “I know you always say ‘don’t make promises you can’t keep’ but I can keep this one. I promise you that there’s nothing you can do to make me hate you. There’s nothing you can say that would permanently drive me away. And I know you’re scared that we’re going to end up just like our parents, but here’s the thing: we’re not our parents. We’re not destined to make the same mistakes that they did. If anything, we can learn from their mistakes and be better because of them. So, if you can promise that you’ll try, then I can promise you that I will try so that our relationship can work because I want you in my life, forever. You’re it for me. I have loved you since the day that I met you and I will continue to love you until the day I die, if you’ll have me.” 

There was nothing I could say that would allow me to express everything that I was feeling in that moment, so instead I closed the already small distance between us and pulled her in for a kiss. She put her hands on my cheeks and wiped my tears away as she deepened our kiss for a second before pulling back. 

“I’m gonna take that as a yes,” she whispered against my lips. 

I laughed and nodded before kissing her again. 

Though it might not have been the merriest of Christmases, as my father put it, it had certainly been a good one. I could honestly say it was one of the best days I’d had since that fateful day when my parents sat me down to give me the news of their divorce. I knew that there would be harder days ahead -- this battle was far from over -- but I also knew that I would be able to get through it. With my friends by my side, cheering me up whenever I needed it, and with my girlfriend always encouraging me and lending a helping hand whenever necessary, I knew I had nothing to fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go folks! It's done! Did you like it? Did you hate it? Any questions, concerns, comments? Let me know! I miss hearing from you guys.  
> Also! If you have any ideas for another story that you would like me to write, you can always dm me on Tumblr (stories-and-such) and we can discuss. Or if you just want to chat, you know, make a friend, vent, whatever, you can also text me for that :)  
> Thank you to those of you who stuck around until the very end, I will forever be grateful to all those of you who always commented, as well as the others who simply left kudos. Seriously, y'all, it means a lot. I'm gonna shut up now. Bye !


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